The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-31 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

It is intended by government to transfer the stamp de-
partment of newspapers to the Post-office establishment.—
Globe.

The Bishop of Carlisle's marriage with the Hon. Miss
Hope Johnstone is expected to be solemnized in the course
of the ensuing month.

A marriage is understood to be in contemplation between
Mr. Rothschild, brother to Baron Samuel de Rothschild,
and his cousin Miss Montifiore.

The Earl of Kingstown is about establishing an agricultu-
ral model school at Mitchelstown, to take apprentices, and
have them bred up as working farmers.
Lord and Lady Francis Egerton, with Lady Charlotte Gre-
ville, Viscount Emlyn, and their family, were still at Rome,
when the last letters were received, all in good health. No
time is fixed for the return to this country of his lordship.
It is said that five of the magistrates of the borough of
Birmingham have forwarded their resignationi to the Home
Office. .

A perfectly white pheasant was shot on the Bllthon estate,
the property of the late Archibald Duncan, Esq., a few days.
Since.—Worcester Herald. • • •••
BANK OF ENGLAND.—The court of 'directors on the 23d
January "resolved—" That the rate of interest on bills of ex-
change and notes discounted at the Bank of England be five
per cent. from this day."
WEALTH OF THE CHURCH.—The income of the clergy,
of every kind whatever, amounts to less than three millions
and a half; which, if equally divided, would give about £3OO
per annum to each clergyman ; and in the whole is about
equal to the sum spent by the people of England in tobacco
and snuff. The duty alone bn tobacco has often exceeded
three millions in the year. So that it would appear that we
thrust up our nostrils in the shape of snuff, or consume in
smoke from the cigar, considerably more than is required to
furnish a resident clergyman in 10,700 parishes.
We understand that Mr. Gladstone, Liverpool, has gene-
rously distributed about 200 barrels of coals among the poor
of Dingwall—a benefaction which that gentleman has been
in the habit of making annually for the last thirty years.—
Montrose Standard.

An extensive gold mine has been discovered in Randolph
county, Alabama. In a single day gold to the amount of
4000 dollars was obtained. One lump was found worth 320
dollars. The mine is believed to he the richest in North
.America.—American Paper.
WHEAT Sowvzo.—lt is expected that a considerable
breadth of wheat will be sown in this county during the earls•
part of the ensuing month. The velvet red, or any good
brown wheat, has been recommended for the purpose, and
the plan is stated to be superior to spring sowing. Much of
the prospect as to the next harvest, will depend upon the
state of the weather during the two ensuing months.—Glon-
cestershire Chronicle.

GENEROUS HIGHWAYMEN.—On Tuesday, the 21st inst.,
John Dyson, a handloom weaver at Crompton, near Oldham,
was on his way home from Rochdale, and when at Brood-
lane two men demanded his money or they would take his
life. He told them he was a weaver out of employment ;
they threw him down, tore his clothes, and took all his mo-
ney, three-pence. One of the highwaymen replied that it
appeared he was a poor man, and on account of injuring his
clothing he gave him a shilling; they then left him.—Preston
Chronicle.

REMARKABLE LONGEVITY.—On Friday, were interred at
Doon, in this county, John Nolan, aged 114 years, and his
wife, aged 105. This centenarian couple died on the same
day, and were buried in the one grave. They enjoyed uniform
good health for a series of years beyond the ordinary age of
mankind, and last Sunday week the old man walked a mile
to chapel. They have left a numerous progeny of grand-
children and great-grand-children, who attended the funeral.
—Limerick Standard.
THE GLOUCESTER AND BIRMINGHAM RAILROAD.—This
railway appears to he silently progressing towards completion,
and the preparations for opening some portion at least of the
line, are daily becoming more manifest. One of the new
American engines has been lately placed upon the line, and a
beautiful one it looks ; and, within the last few days, has
made several experimental trips between Cheltenham and
Tewkesbury, performing the distance of nine miles in thir-
teen minutes. At present everything augurs well for the
success and prosperous accomplishment of this important
undertaking.—Gloucester Chronicle.

NOVEL MAN-TRAP.--We believe a practice exists among
some persons driving carts of helping their horses to hay
from the ricks of farmers while passing along the roads in
certain districts of this county (Ayrshire). These thefts, in
a locality on the banks of the river Ayr, had become com-
mon enough to be felt as a grievance; but the offenders
could not be secured, notwithstanding the greatest vigilance
on the part of those aggrieved. One day last week, how-
ever, a depredator was taken in a very peculiar manner. He
had left his horse and cart on the road, and was tearing away
at the root of a corn-stack, a great deal more industriously
than if at a day's wages. The stack, by some chance, stood
off the perpendicular, and the greedy reiver drew out armful
by armful till he fairly sapped its foundation, when the stack
fell over him, and buried him alive under about 100 stone of
straw ! The object of his covetousness being so plentifully
showered upon him, he bellowed lustily for relief; and the
overturn of the stack having been noticed by persons in its
vicinity, the culprit was extricated just in time to save his
life. His reputation, however, perished ; and after being
heartily laughed at, he was allowed to depart. We should
think he will keep his eye aloft the next time he tries this
trick.—Edinburgh Observer.
PORT FLEETWOOD.—On Tuesday last, a first-class steam-
dredge, of upwards of 100 feet in length, and adapted to lift
300 tons of submarine matter per hour, from 17 feet below
the water line, was launched at Port Fleetwood, amidst the
huzzas of the vast crowds assembled on both shores of the
harbour, the firing of guns, and the performances of a band
of music. This substantial vessel has been built at Fleet-
wood-upon-Were, by Mr. Speakman, under the directions
of Capt. Denham, F,R.S., consulting marine surveyor for
the Wyre Harbour improvements. A party of 80 were re-
galed, and toasted this rapidly increasing undertaking. The
day way most boisterous, a strong gale north-west ; but it
proved the well adapted site for ship-building, for this rather
ponderous fabric was launched, at the height of the gale, in
perfect safety, into tidal water, which permits a vessel of 20
feet draught to be afloat at half-springs at merely half her
her length frem the ways. This vessel will afford a power-
ful auxiliary to the operations which Capt. Denham is con-
ducting. His rate of progress may now be conceived, when
it is stated that during her preparation 30,000 cubic yards of
protruding matter has been removed, and a tide-deserting
dam of 40,000 yards, for concentrating the reflux of the
Wyre estuary, has been effected. We are enabled to state
also, that the Foot of Wyre Lighthouse, reared upon screw-
piles, within pistol-shot of 20 fathom water, and intended to
be lighted by dioptree order of light in March, has, to the
immortalizing of Mitchell's patent screw-piles, and to the '
marine surveyor's proposition, unflinchingly braved the un-
usual trial of g gale from open sea at the height of a spring
tide. The two other lighthouses (on shore) are in course of
erection, so that a leading line right in may be anticipated
for dead half-neaps by July next, thus rendering it as easy
and "as safe as Wyre-water."—Preston Pilot.

WRECK OF THE BARQUE MARGARET MILLER.—This
fine new barque, which is about 600 tons burthen, Pickford
master, bound from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool, was
wrecked on Monday morning last. The ill-fated vessel left
the port of Halifax on the 11th of December, with a cargo
of timber. By the gale of Sunday last, she was driven to
leeward, and on Monday morning fell in with the breakers
of Blackpool ; she then went over a point of the salthouse
bank, by which means she lost her rudder, ;and shipped a
great deal of water. At this time a heavy gale was blowing
from the west. when catching upon another part of the bank,
she was rendered a complete wreck. In about two hours
afterwards she was cast ashore, at the mouth of the Ribble,
about three miles below Lytham. On making the beach, the
crew, consisting of fourteen men and a passenger, were ena-
bled to land with safety, at low water, but some of them were
in such an enfeebled state that they were unable to walk, and
were obliged to be carried in a cart to Lytham, where they
met with the most kind and hospitable treatment from Mr.
M'Kie, Commercial Inn. Had the cargo been anything else
but timber, all the hands on board must inevitably have pe-
rished, and the vessel been totally lost. The cargo will all
be saved, and the vessel broken up, and sold for old timber.
—Preston Chronicle.

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT THE SUMMIT TUNNEL.—Ay,--
FUL Loss OF LlFE.—Early on Thursday morning last, a
terrible accident occurred in the shaft, No. 11 of the Sum-
mit Tunnel, on the line of the Manchester and Leeds Rail-
way. Six miners were at work in the tunnel when one of the
beams supporting the roof gave way, and a part of the tun-
nel fell in with tremendous force ; four of the men narrowly
escaped with their lives, but the other two were left buried
beneath the ruins. An alarm was immediately given, and a
number of miners were instantly upon the spot and the most
vigorous operations were set on foot to extricate the poor
sufferers ; after an immense toil of six hours one of the poor
fellows was heard uttering the most heart rending moans,
mingled we are sorry to add with dreadful imprecatioris ; in
about another hour he was extricated, but his legs and arms
were found to be broken, and be had only been saved from
instant death by one of the beams falling crosswise over him.
Every attention was paid to the poor man, and the exertions
of the miners were redoubled to extricate the other sufferer,
but it was not till late in the evening that he was discovered
—quite dead, and it is somewhat singular that about the time
his body was discovered the other man expired. An inquest
was held upon the bodies yesterday, but the result of the in-
quest did not reach our office before going to press.—Hali-
fax Guardian.

THE TEA TRADE.—A considerable advance has taken
place in the retail price of tea in Newcastle this week, in
consequence of the stoppage of the trade with China. The
most useful sorts are now nearly 200 per cent. dearer in the
London market than they were six or seven months ago.
The lowest priced tea is now six shillings per lb., tolerably
good Congou 6s. Bd., and fine teas higher in proportion to
their quality. It is much to be feared that the advance will
not stop here, however reluctant the trade and the public
may be to a future rise of prices. The stocks of the dealers
are nearly exhausted, and when they are forced into the Lon-
don market for a further supply, they will have to pay
enormous prices to the speculators and merchants, who are
now the almost exclusive holders of this necessary article.
Since the month of June last, the black tea most generally
consumed in this district, has nearly trebled its price in the
London sale room.—Newcastle Journal.
SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.—Last Christmas twelve
months the Rev. D. Wilson, of Mungrisdale, planted some
young apple trees and two young pear trees in his garden.
One of the pear trees blossomed very luxuriantly, and had
six fine pears upon it, and the fruit was promising and gra-
dually hastening to maturity until the latter end of July,
and no doubt would have come to perfection had not cattle
got to the tree and completely stripped it of foliage and the
fruit. About two months after this, in October, the tree
blossomed a second time, and three fresh pears again formed,
and are at this moment about the size of a nut. This is
something remarkable, considering .he unfavourable season
for fruit, the mountainous locality, and it being the first year
after planting. The fruit, of course, will never come to per-
fection : but the circumstance shews what nature sometimes
can do in opposition to climate and the inclemency of the
weather.—Carlisle Patriot. _

ANT I-ConN-L AW FALL Ac Y .—lt was stated at the recent
Corn-law orgies at Manchester, that the duties on foreign
wheat having risen to 22s Sd per qr. it is only necessary to re-
peal the Corn Laws, and to reduce the pMce to the consumer
by the wole of that amount. The monstrous falsehood of this
impudent statement will be apparent by referring to our
weekly corn-markets, where will be found Dantzic Wheat
nmoituqeudi,teanclfeaarr,ftrohnierefboernee,fitthiantgitlhteheeninmanpmoretr,diut t
stated as follows :—Free 72s to 84s, in bond Ms to 60s. Is it
ywnwnledrepl
into the pockets of the capitalists or foreign grower, who
Remit the duty of 22s Bd, and the elnoantsetnqutehneee
would add the remitted duty to the price of the commodity ?
government would be, that
the whole amount would be
to the retail purchaser. It would be a present, a pure gratu-
ity, to the owner of the crown. The price of wheat is not
the price of the bonded warehouse, or of the producing
country, but the price of the market where it is exposed to
sale ; so that, take off the duty on Dantzic wheat now in bond,
and you would not benefit the consumer one farthing, except
so far as the introduction of a certain quantity of wheat might
tend to lower the market price. This, indeed, might be
effected ; but all the foreign bonded wheat now in warehouse,
if brought into market next Monday, and sold forthwith,
would not reduce the price more than is Gd per qr. a reduc-
tion which would not be felt in the price of a 41b. loaf, but
actually swallowed up by the capitalists of one kind or
another—the miller or the corn-factor. So basely false is
the assertion that the consumer is aggrieved to the, whole ex-
tent of the present duty =foreign cora.—rlsktocaittleirowaufl•