The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-13 00:00:00

independent` of them

t St. Peter's

church tower was loverei

Tian was about

duties of his'office for .rhe long period of nineteen years,
during which he preserved the well-earned respect and
affection of the members of the congregation. for whose
spiritual wants lie laboured so faithfully.

TIM year which is now fast drawing to a close
has been one of almost unexampled prosperity in
commercial business, extending nearly to every
description of industrial activity. Shipowners,
merchants, brokers, manufacturers, wholesale deal-
ers, and tradesmen have been well and profitably
employed, capital has returned profits in some
cases almost fabulous, and labour has been amply
rewarded. No wonder, then, that towards the
close an extensive strike of operatives occasioned
but little inclination to concede their demands, for
most of their employers could close their books
with a balance to the credit of profit and loss much
greater than they had shown for many years pre-
ceding. This gratifying state of mercantile ledgers
may possibly account for the seeming apathy
which now prevails, and the difficulty experienced
in creating anything like a feeling of excitement
on any subject. The East of Europe is in a state
of active warfare, the diplomatists of Europe are
actively engaged in negotiations upon which may
depend the fate of empires, the Sulina mouth of
the Danube is almost closed by natural impedi-
ments against the navigation required for further
supplies of foreign corn ; each day brings reports
of changes which, whether true or false, might be
supposed to be of some importance ; and yet all
these seem to fall upon the ear as tedious as a
thrice-told tale. There are, however, subjects
which must ultimately prove of interest, and which
ought to receive attention before the time draws
near when the business of legislation will be ac-
tively proceeded with. It will be remembered
that, some time since, a movement was made for
the establishment of commercial tribunals, and
though nothing was done, owing to the opposition
of ancient lawyers, who will never reform them-
selves, or run the risk of losing rich clients, until
they are compelled by the pressure from without,
the subject is of too much importance to be allowed
to let slip. Both in London and Liverpool there
are numerous cases constantly arising which re-

quire the interference of competent parties, in
order to settle disputed points. The only alterna-
tive under the present system is to resort to the
tedious and expensive process of a law-suit, or
submit to apparent injustice, which is more often
the rule than the exception ; but 'even when a
court of law is appealed to, the result is far from
satisfactory, few lawyers understanding commercial
customs, and decisions being often far removed
from justice. The interests of British commerce
are far too important to be left in such a state, and
the evil is the more grievous when the remedy is
easy and practicable. The establishment of a
commercial tribunal, easy of access and inexpen-
sive in process, in which all questions relating to
trade and commerce might be promptly- adjudi-
cated, is a concession which the mercantile world
has a right to expect, and which, it is hoped, will be
pressed upon the attention of the legislature until
the object be attained. It will not do, however, to
leave it to the dilatory proceedings and evident
unwillingness of Crown lawyers. The demand for
justice must be made in a tone which will not
brook refusal,—our representatives must force the
subject upon Parliament, backed by the petitions
of the many who are interested in it, and the
reasonableness of the request will appear so obvious
as to insure its success. There is no want of pre-
cedents, as the Admiralty Court is devoted to
questions concerning shipping, such as salvage,
collisions, &c., and the Stannaries Courts in Corn-
wall and Devon to the disputes about mining, so a
special tribunal might be efclusively devoted to
the many questions which daily arise in commer-
cial affairs, depending, in a great measure, upon
customs and usages, and which could be settled
infinitely bettor by such means than when incum-
bered with the dry technicalities of common law.
Indeed, the advantage of such a course is so
obvious, that the only wonder is, that it has not
been done long before.

THE inquiry instituted by the Town Council of
Liverpool, into the conduct of one of its own mem-
bers, has resulted in a verdict of condemnation by
the unanimous voice of the committee who con-
ducted the investigation. The only defence which
appears to have been offered by the apologists for
the accused, is a vague assertion upon his not being
alone in the exercise of undue influence for election
purposes. It is said that other members of the
Council are not free from the charge of having
resorted to practices by no means in accordance
with modern notions of purity of election. Such
a specious justification of admitted wrong arises
from an evident misconception of the nature of the
charge, which is in no way answered by any refe-
rence to general accusations about bribery and
treating. Had Mr. BRADLEY been accused of
buying, or attempting to buy, every voter in
Vauxhall Ward, or opening every public-house to
unlimited treating, the retort might have had
some weight ; but the charge against him is for
making use of information and influence, which he
could only possess as a member of the Council, in
order to exercise it to obtain votes. This the
committee have decided to be proved, and for
such alone has he been condemned by the Council.
It will be observed that they have refused to
proceed further, leaving it to his own sense of
propriety to retire from a position which he is
evidently unworthy to occupy, and it is to be
hoped that reflection will serve to convince him
of the necessity of preserving his own character
from the obloquy which must attach to him, should
he persist in refusing to adopt the only course
which is now left open to him.

THE exposure which has recently taken place
of the treatment of passengers on board emigrant
ships, as in the case of the Melbourne from Au-
stralia, which became the subject of an action at lwa,
and the mortality which has occurred in several ves-
sels owing to want of sufficient and wholesome food,
ventilation, and other means of preserving life, has
shown the existence of a grievance which impera-
tively demands a more efficient remedy than has
yet been applied. Without expressing any opinion
as to the policy of encouraging a kind of whole-
sale emigration, it is evident that some protection
should be afforded to the hapless passengers by
competent authority against the cupidity of ship-
owners and the callous indifference of ship-masters
to the comfort of those entrusted to them. It is
true that the government have appointed officers
whose duty it is to see that a vessel is properly
found in stores and other accommodations for the
number of passengers she is to carry, but such du-
ties are unfortunately too often performed as a
matter of course; and, if they were strictly carried
out, the poor emigrants have no security for their
treatment when out at sea. Such supervision can-
not prevent bulkheads, erected to separate opposite
sexes, being afterwards knocked away, water-closets
removed, and deficient supplies of

provisions

Something more is wanted, and we might suggest
that a competent surgeon should be despatched
with each emigrant ship, whose certificate at the
end of the voyage, corroborated by a certain pro-
portion of the passengers, should be necessary in
order to enable the owners to receive a portion of
the passage-money, which should be lodged with
the authorities at the port of embarkation. It might
also be advisable to call upon the owners to give

security for the due performance of the contract
entered into with the passengers, and authorise a
competent officer at the port of landing to inquire
into the justice of any complaints made by the
emigrants, which, U' well founded, should entitle
them to compensation. In either case the agents

for the vessel would have a &het interest in esta-
blishing for themselves a reputation which would

secure to them a preference in passenger traffic,

but at present they are exposed _to undue compe-
tition with unscrupulous men who beat down the
fair rate of passage-money, and compensate them-
selves by fraud and something worse. More strin-
gent regulations would prove a protection to re-
spectable shipowners, and we are sure that the
majority of Liverpool firms, who stand second to
none in the world, would cordially join in support-
ing any scheme which would have the effect of
securing to emigrants the advantages to which
they have an undoubted claim.

THE annual Christmas cattle show has again
produced ample evidence of the great improvement
which is going on in the production of animal food.
Some huge specimens were exhibited of the short-
horn breed of cattle, one of which bore off the gold
medal as the best of the show, and PRINCE ALBERT,
who has proved himself a devoted- friend to old
English pursuits, has won the same honour for the
not less useful animal, the pig. In commenting
upon these annual exhibitions of fatted. stock, it
has been the custom of some of our contempo-
raries, echoed by most of their unreflecting readers,
to condemn the over-feeding of these specimens of
bovine beauty, as though each animal had been
fed with no other view than to decorate the sham-
bles, and furnish a dish for the Christmas festi-
vities. This is but a short-sighted view of the
affair, considerably diminishing its importance.
The real object is the promotion of a breed of
animals which will produce the greatest amount of
food at the lowest cost, and this can only be tested
by feeding them beyond the point required for
ordinary use, when their several qualities become
evident to the observer. In the same way as a
chain is strained until it is broken, in order to
prove the extent of its strength, so is one beast
out of many hundreds fed to excess, in order that

a correct opinion may be arrived at, from its ap-
pearance in this state, of the facilities which those
of the same particular kind possess for acquiring
flesh easily; but if ever the view be adopted of con-
fining such exhibitions to animals of mere ordinary
obesity, their value for the improvement of agri-
culture will be comparatively lost. England has
made rapid strides within the last few years in
this useful art, and as she has already surpassed
all the rest of the world in quality, she will, ere
long, be able to do so in cheapness.

TrrE statements relative to the war between
Russia and Turkey still continue to be of the most
conflicting character. We mentioned last week
that the numerous reports of conflicts between
the Russian and Turkish troops were only the
skirmishes of outposts, and nothing has as yet
appeared to show any serious intention on the part
of the respective Governments to make any sen-
sible impression on the other. If TURKEY had
really designed to force the Russians out of the
Danubian provinces, she ought to have made more
effectual provision than the handfuls of troops
which have been engaged, while the immense re-
sources of Russia could have furnished a more
efficient army, had the CZAR any other design
than to keep what he has got until the SULTAN
has conceded the desired note of guarantee. Ma-
hometan enthusiasm was not to be satisfied with-
out a show of fighting, and the SULTAN, in order
to preserve their allegiance to himself, has been
indulging them, by allowing them to play at the
dreadful game of war. It remains to be seen
whether sufficient slaughter has taken place to
cool their ardour.; but a movement towards a

3eace-

ful settlement of the affair has again been com-

menced. The representatives of the four powers,
England, France, Austria, and Prussia, have as-
sembled at Vienna, and agreed to a protocol, in
the nature of a declaration formally pledging them
to resist and prevent any territorial change, or
any disturbance of the existing balance of power
in Europe, and accompanied by an invitation to
the PORTE to state the basis on which it would be
prepared to enter into negotiations for a treaty of
peace. This document has been forwarded to Con-
stantinople ; and should Turkey respond to the
invitation, and propose such terms as the allies
may deem reasonable and equitable, Russia will be
invited to enter into negotiations on the basis so
laid down ; and in the event of the CZAR'S acqui-
esence, a congress will probably be convened, in
order to frame a definitive treaty of peace. This is
but the natural result of all that has taken place.
The EMPEROR of RUSSIA has, from the first,
avowed his desire for peace, but expressed his de-

termination to have a note of guarantee for the
security of the Christian subjects of the PoRTE.
The terms of this note have formed the chief subject
of the dispute, and, though a delay has taken place
in arriving at a settlement, it has evidently arisen
from the difficulty which the SULTAN has had in
dealing with his own subjects, and the success of
the new attempt at settlement may, therefore,
depend upon the same cause, though the difficulty
may be considerably diminished by the fighting
which has already taken place. The apprehension
which at one time existed of the peace of Europe
being disturbed, has been in a great measure set
at rest, owing to the prudent firmness with which
the European powers have refrained from active
interference ; and as the impression of Russia
having ulterior designs of aggression must now be
considerably weakened, it may help to allay that
mania for sympathy with Turkey which prevailed
a short time since.

As CHRISTMAS-DAY this year will fall on a
Sunday, and it has been usual to devote the latter
part of the day, at least, to more than ordinary
festivity, an agitation has been made, on the part
of those immediately interested, to have the follow-
ing day kept as a holiday. There is nothing un-
reasonable in the request, for by many the day is
looked forward to as one of the few holidays which
the ardent pursuit of business allows to those
employed in it; and the case is still further
strengthened by the necessity of preserving the
sanctity of the Lord's Day as far as possible from
the desecration of those who will be tempted to
remember only the day of festivity, and to forget
that it is also Sunday. There is, however, the
difficulty with bankers and others of bills falling
due on the Monday, which must be met, and with
the former the obligation to pay cheques upon
them, from which they could only be relieved by
an act of the legislature. Such objections, how-
ever, will not apply to manufacturers, wholesale
dealers, tradesmen, and others, and there seems
little doubt, from the favour with which the pro-
posal has been received, that it will be generally
adopted by_those who have the means within their
power. Several of the tradesmen of this town
have already exhibited notices of their intention to
keep their shops closed on the Monday, and in
some other towns the authorities have issued a
recommendation to the inhabitants to the same
effect. Much of the anxiety and inconvenience on
this subject might be obviated, if certain days m
the year were specially set apart by the legislature
for general recreation, as it would tend consider-
ably to abate the excuse which is too often urged
for the desecration of the Lord's Day.

WE understand that,—in consequence of numerous
communications from inhabitants of the Borough, suggest-
ing that as Christmas-day falls on the Sunday, Monday
the 20th instant should be observed as a holiday,--the
Mayor has, with the concurrence of the Chairmen of the
different Committees of the Council, directed that all the
public offices under the control of the municipal autho-i-
-ties shall be closed on that day, and will issue a placard

recommending that jaabitants should observe it as a
holiday.