The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-22 00:00:00

THE EARL OF SEAFIELD WaS, on Wednesday, elected a
Scottish representative peer, in the room of Lord Saltoun,
deceased.

THE RODERICK Dnu has arrived in the Clyde from
Port Philip, whence she sailed the 11th of August, with
450 ounces of gold, valued at £l,BOO.
GENERAL POST-OFFICE : ROYAL COMMlSSlON.—Com-
missioners will be appointed in a few days to inquire into
the general state of the Post-office, and also to take evi-
dence with the view of establishing a uniform rate of
_

oceanic postage.
A VETERAN DIPLOMATIST.—A letter from Copenhagen
of the 7th says :—" Sir Henry Watkin Williams Wynn,
who, since 1817, that is, for thirty-seven years, has been
Minister Plenipotentiary of England at the Court of
Denmark, has, on his own demand, been recalled, and in-
tends into retire into private life."
THANKSGIVING.—WedneSday was set apart as one of
solemn thanksgiving in Neweastle for its deliverance from
cholera. It was very generally observed, and services
were held in the various churches and places of worship
in the town. The past two weeks of dry frosty weather
has materially improved the public health of the district,
and, with the exception of one or two of the Smith Dur-
ham villages, it seems nearly clear of this fearful malady.
MURDER THREE YEARS AGO.—On Tuesday evening a
man named Edward Macdonald, who had escaped justice
three years ago, having been charged with a murder in
Airdrie, was put on board the Glasgow steamer at Belfast,
in. Custody of one of the Airdrie police officers. He had
been lost sight of until within the last few weeks, when he
was traced to Dundalk, and arrested there. The identi-
fication was complete.
Trot SPANISH Jounickr.B state that the French aronaut,
M. Arban, who made an ascent from Barcelona more than
two years ago, and who was believed to have fallen into
the sea, and to have been drowned, has made his appearance
again. An Alicant letter says that his balloon went over
to Africa, where he was seized and made a slave, and that
after he had continued in slavery for two years, he effected
his escape.

SUICIDE OP A SURGEON BY PRUSSIC AClD.—Another
suicide of a medical man by prussic acid is reported. Mr.
Francis Champneys, surgeon, No. 112, London-wall, was
found by his landlady's daughter dead in bed, on Monday
morning. He had taken a quantity of the strongest prus-
sic acid, one drop of which in the eye of a dog would be
sufficient to destroy its life. He had never been known to
be depressed in spirits. A verdict of temporary insanity
was returned at the inquest.
SCIENTIFIC USES OF THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—
The Royal Observatory at Brussels has just been placed in
electric communication with the Royal Observatory,
Greenwich, for the purpose of facilitating the determination
in 'a direct manner of the difference of longitude between
the two establishments. This operation is one of extreme
delicacy as well as of great importance to geodesy. The
electric communication is made in such a manner that
every oscillation of the pendulum at Brussels will be re-
presented with accuracy at Greenwich, and vice versa.—
Daily News.
DOVERING.—In the course of an application made at
the Guildhall by a bok 41 waiters, who considered them-
selves insufficiently paid for their attendance at the Lord
Mayor's banquet, it tame out, that among other causes of
complaint which they had against the purveyor of the
civic feast, was that of having been kept in a state of
painful sobriety by the practice of " Dovering." Sir
Peter Laurie inquired what they meant, and received the
following explandtion Why, sir, the half-bottles are
used to fill up Others, which are sent up to the table again
as unopened bdtfies • and this is what we call Dovering.' "
This has been'contradicted.

SUNDAY TffiADlNG.—The kaior of Wisbeach has ad-
dressed a letter to the employers of labour in the neigh.'
bourhood,in which he relates his own praiseworthy exer-
tions and:partial success in inducing the tradespeople of
the town:to give up Sunday trading, and solicit their co-
operation.% putting an end to it altogether. He was met
by the tradesmen, he says, in a spirit of kindness ; and
they admitted, with hardly an exception, that they should
be glaa'to discontinue trading on the Sunday ; and stated
as the thief obstacle to their taking such a course, that
the libourers could not purchase their goods until that
day, in consequence of not receiving their wages until too
late on the Saturday evening before.
MATRIMONIAL.—RecentIy, at Rugely, in this county,
a worthy couple appeared before the altar, at the parish
Church, to take each other for " better for worse," when a
rival fair one presented herself, asserted her superior claim
1.0 the bridegroom, and expressed her determination to
prevent the interesting proceedings taking place unless
she was substituted for the female about to be made a
wife. A " scene" ensued, in the course of which the
" feminines" freely abused each other ; the favoured one
eventually requested to be informed of the ground on
which her rival founded the justice of her claim to the
hand of her bethrothed, and was made acquainted with
the fact, in no very choice words, that the discarded beauty
was in expectation of a second edition of her faithless
lover. This she considered a full and reasonable satisfac-
tion for her interference ; but the expectant bride silenced
her opponent by declaring that she was in a similar situa-
tion. The clergyman and clerk vainly endeavoured to
persuade' the objector to leave the sacred edifice, and as
their advice fell unheeded, she was forcibly ejected, and
the marriage was duly celebrated. As the disappointed
woman was being removed from the church, she exclaimed
with great earnestness, " Never mind, she won't live long,
and I shall have him after all,"—a hope indeed " forlorn."
—Wolverhampton Herald.
MELANCHOLY STORY.—A female vocalist named Fisher
lately committed suicide at Leeds. Inquiry into the case
shows that the deluded young woman was induced to wait
upon a professed sorceress some months back, to test her
powers of looking into futurity. The deceased was then
informed that a gentleman would present her with a bunch
of flowers, and that soon after he would make her his wife.
It so happened that after a concert at which she soon
afterwards sang, a bouquet of flowers was presented to the
deceased, which, though a very common act of kindness
towards a favourite female vocalist, no doubt at once fixed
in her mind a firm belief in the fortune-teller's pre-
diction. Miss Fisher again waited upon her, and was
told that she must burn a certain quantity of spirits at
midnight, for a stated number of nights, after which her
future husband would be shown to her, and further re-
velations of coming events would be made to her; but was
at the same time assured that the gentleman was very
rich, and that she would ride in her carriage before three
months had passed. She was further told that her lover
would come for her in his own carriage. The wild and
fallacious hopes excited by these pretended predictions,
being of course eventually blighted, the succeeding bitter
mortification and disappointment, together with the em-
barrasment consequent upon the expensive preparations
for the anticipated marriage, were amply sufficient to
destroy the balance of a credulous and sanguine mind.
WATERLOO LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY.—The second
annual general meeting of the proprietors in this company
was held yesterday at the offices of the society, No. 355,
Strand, for the purpose of receiving the report, and upon
other business ; Mr. J. Bishop in the chair. Mr. T. G.
Williams read the report, which stated that the new
business transacted by the corporation during the past
year has exceeded that of the former year by upwards of
100 per cent, the number of policies issued being 400,
assuring the sum of £142,304, and producing the annual
income of £4,787, making in all 603 policies granted to
this date, assuring the sum of £214,263, and producing an
annual revenue of £7,162. The average amount assured
under each policy is £355 6s. 7d., the annual premium for
each being £ll 17s. 4d. This company has therefore
secured to itself, in less than two years, a large income,
amounting to upwards of £7,000, irrespectively of that
derivable from investments. During the past year £19,000
has been invested, which makes the amount upwards of
£25,000. The report, after noticing that the claims
during the year had only amounted to £6OO, concluded by
declaring a dividend of six per cent, free of income tax.
Thexhairman moved the adoption of the report, which
was seconded by Mr. A. F. Jackson, and carried unani-
mously. The retiring directors and auditors having been
re-elected, a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman,
and the meeting separated—Morning Chronicle.
AN ATTEMPT TO MURDER.—On Thursday, Henry
Dobbs, a-waiter, belonging to Newcastle, a respectable-
looking young man, was brought before the Tynemouth
borough magistrates, charged with shooting, with intent
to kill, a female of the name of Margaret Musgrove Beau-
mont, a domestic in the Commercial Hotel, in North
Shields. It appeared that Dobbs was engaged to be mar-
ried to the young woman, and she had written him a letter
asking him toaDome down to Shields on Sunday. With
'this he had complied. Some words, however, had taken
Place between them when they met, and she had left him
about half-past six in the evening in bad temper. Dobbs,
called at the hotel -during the course of the evening, and
found her in the kitchen with another young man. They
had treated him very improperly, and Beaumont had torn
the letter she had written him out of his hand, and burnt
it. Dobbs left Shields very much exasperated, and next
morning bought a pistol and some powder and shot in
Newcastle, -and came down to Shields next day with the
purpose of destroying Beaumont if she remained shy with
him. Upon his going into the kitchen she treated him
with disdain, and he immediately pulled a loaded pistol
from his breast, and deliberately fired it at her. She for-
tunately, was stooping at the tune, and the charge grazed
the back part of her head and set fire to her cap. Dobbs
was immediately secured, and uponheing searched a quan-
tity of powder, shot, and percussion zaps was found upon
him. He made no secret of what his intentions had been,
and was committed for trial.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF LONDON SHERIFFHOOD: FINING
RECUSANTS.—At the City Corporation Commission, on
Tuesday, in answer to the question what is the reason that
persons pay the fine in order to avoid serving as sheriff?
Sir I. Patteson replied : A general desire to sever
ao nniefo
elf
ex
from city offices, and a dread of the trouble and
ances which it occasions. I cannot say what the peases
are, not having served. I cannot dere!?
ifs epends very much
but I believe that the election of the plan to 3-9 u,
upon persons who are obtaining the sub-
induce their friends
d es'heriffs are often the same
to become sheriffs. The
shrievalty, and who, for dtehisaiterorr_ussleonrf,
to one another's hands. My friend
play very much
memberLu for Norwich, was nominated, anti
persons for a number ofylii-ears, and it is clear that_they
Mr. Peto, the
sheriff in 1849 or 1850, altogether without his
but he pleaded • 1 Privi ege of
kelneocwtedwge a
which the Corporation was very unwillingly
Parliament,
compelled to admit.
and consent,
My father was elected, and paid the
fine. My brother also was nominated, but, fortunately
but upon election it is
for himself, was never elected. The fine, if paid
theimme-
doZ4tilehtlin e
to finesbeantedamounted
to payth
xxdi676lo,e
01.yooul,ponwtt
iiiiiinechoymiena,rasnaltsBi
tart;
edains
the expenses of an entertainment to George the Fourth,
also wish
hI
tokndolloitotahitteungtoiofuthtoattilebuaptpirtopwrias.
the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of Russia, after
stoh est
war.a
t e .
ation of these funds. Up to the year 1830 those fines
were paid over to the general funds of the city,
but on
the 10th of December of that year the Court ofCommon
Council resolved that in future all sheriffs' fines should
form a fund in the hands of the chamberlain, to accumu-
late at interest, to be applicable, under the authority of
the Corporation, in aid of objects of public improvement
or utility, or of a charitable nature, within the city. This
has always appeared to me to be putting a plausible face
upon the extortions they practised. But so little concerned
were they in the matter that, though they levied a fine
from Sir C. Price, in 1835, it was not appropriated to any
fund until after a return on the subject was moved for in
Parliament in 1848. I can only express a hope that, if
the livery are to continue to exercise these powers, there
will be some description of appeal provided for gentlemen
who are improperly clected to these offices,