The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-22 00:00:00

The Earl of Sefton has quite recovered from the effects of
his fall, while hunting. His lordship's face was severely
bruised, from coming in contact with the knee of his horse.

FIRE.—On Sunday forenoon, at eleven o'clock, smoke
was seen issuing from the stove forming part of the timber-
yard and joiner's shop of Mr. 11. Williams, at the bottom of
Vauxhall-road. The policeman on duty immediately gave
the alarm, and an engine was quickly on the spot. The fire
in the stove was soon extinguished, and the men removed
the smoking timber into the street.

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—Parents and friends should give
children, during the holidays, au opportunity of visiting
these Gardens, not only as a means of amusement, but as
affording them instruction in natural history. Several very
remarkable objects are now to be seen in the Gardens,
which, although not clad in verdant beauty, are worth seeing,
even at this period of the year.
COMPLETION OF THE STOCKPORT VlADUCT.—Yester-
day, at half-past twelve o'clock, the final stone was set of
the viaduct on the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, at
Stockport. After the ceremony, Messrs. Samuel and James
Holme, and Mr. Tornkinson, of Liverpool, the contractors
for the work, treated the parties interested in the railway and
their friends with a handsome entertainment.
THEATRE ROYAL, MANCHESTER.—We perceive that Mr.
Clarke has taken the Theatre Royal at Manchester. Under
his management the play-goers there may anticipate a con-
tinuance of that spirit which has been always manifested in
that establishment. Success will doubtless crown Mr.
Clarke's efforts. He certainly promises to commence the
campaign with eclat, having announced Ellen Tree and
Charles Kean to open in the " Lady of Lyons." It is worth
a journey to Manchester to see them play in it.
STONE DRUIDICAL HARMONICON.—This musical novel-
ty, now that it comes to be known, is drawing numbers of
persons to see it. The greatest surprise is expressed at the
simplicity of the instrument, and its rude materials. It is
hardly to be believed that so fine a tone could be extracted
from stone. We advise our friends who are fond of " linked
sweetness long drawn out," to go and hear Mr. Richardson's
family perform upon it.
SUGAR ESTATES IN JAMAICA ON SALE.—We perceive
that several fine sugar estates in Jamaica are announced for
sale in our advertising columns. The estates, we have rea-
sons for asserting, are in the finest possible condition, and
present an admirable opportunity for investment to the en-
terprising capitalist. The prospect of obtaining an exten-
sive supply of immigrants will, no doubt, prove highly en-
couraging to the planters of that flourishing colony, notwith-
standing its recent depression.
THE LIVER THEATRE.—Last evening a very effective
drama was produced here, called " The Delusion," in which
Mr. Elton sustained an extraordinary character, that of a
man jealous of his wife. Mr. Elton's acting is true to na-
ture : he never overacts ; he seems to have studied Hamlet's
advice to the players most carefully. The last scene in the
drama was admirably done, and seemed to be highly appre-
ciated by the audience. As Mr. Elton will finish his engage-
ment this week, we recommend those who have not seen
him to do so : they will be pleased with his style. Mr.
Raymond, as ltfartoch Delaney, in " London Larks," kept
the house literally in a roar of laughter.

FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR PRESCOT.—Another accident oc-
curred, in the vicinity of Prescot, on Friday evening. The
subject of tills accident was a man of the name of John
Saunders, a j )iner by trade, and of the age of 29 years, who
had been down to Liverpool with his nephew, the driver of
a cart, and on their return home the deceased drove. His
nephew got into the cart, and was dozing, when he fancied
the horse made a start and had run away ; he got up, and
then saw the deceased run from the parapet towards the
horse, and make a rush to get hold of his head, when he
missed and fell to the ground; the near wheel of the cart
passed over his body, and after stopping the horse the de-
ceased was put into the cart, but he died directly afterwards.
He was severely bruised on his body, and one of his thighs
was broken.—An inquest was held on Saturday, before John
Heyes, Esq., at which the jury returned a verdict of Acci-
dental death.

CAUTION TO LODGING-HOUSE KEEPERS.—A woman
named Elizabeth Brown, who on Saturday was brought be-
Te Mr. Rushton, at the Police-court, on a charge of theft
from a lodging-house to which she had found access, sub-
stantiated against her, was again brought up yesterday, on
two charges of a similar nature. Mrs. King, keeper of a
lodging-house in Cunliffe-street, said the prisoner came to
her house on Friday night with a child in her arms, and in-
quired for iodgings, stated that she had been recommended
to Mrs. K. (whose name she had learned) from the Clarence
Dock. Mrs. King demurred to receive her on account of
her having a child ; but was finally persuaded to provide her
with a bed. On the following morning the prisoner went
out, and two blankets were immediately missed from one
bed in the room where she slept, and two from another. She
was searched for but not found. Mrs. Gould, another lodg-
ing-house keeper, in Mill-place, stated that the prisoner had
come to her in a similar manner, and while she had gone to
prepare tea for her at her own request, she went off, taking
with her three shirts, two pair of trousers, a scarf, and a
handkerchief, the property of one of her lodgers. Informa-
tion was lodged with the police, and she was apprehended
from the description given. Both witnesses stated their per-
fact assurance that the prisoner was the same person. She
was committed to take her trial at the sessions.
THE ASHTON MURDER.—FURTHER PARTICULARS.—
On Wednesday, the whole of the five prisoners were brought
before the magistrates at Ashton. Mr. Lord said that, as
there appeared to be very great suspicion against them in the
public mind, it was quite necessary that they should be de-
tained in custody until the result of the inquest was known.
They would therefore stand remanded until Saturday. Mr.
Taylor, attorney, of this town, appeared on behalf of the
prisoners, and applied to have them admitted to bail ; but
the magistrates did not think it proper, under the circum-
stances, to accept of bail. Mr. Taylor then made applica-
tion, on behalf of the Sawyers' Union, that they should be
allowed access to the books, which were in the hands of the
Ashton police, stating as the ground that there were several
women and families, who were entitled to relief, but to
whom it could not be given without reference to the books.
Mr. Newton, the deputy constable, said he did not see that
there could be any objection ; and the application was ac-
ceded to. On Thursday, the jury on the inquest assembled
at the Swan Inn, at eleven o'clock. In answer to an in-
quiry from Mr. Rutter, the coroner, Mr. Newton stated that
he was unprepared with any further evidence to lay before
the jury. The inquest was accordingly adjourned to Thurs•
day next, at the same hour.—Manc/iester Courier.
AMPHITHEATRE.—Last evening Mr. W. J. Hammond's
benefit came off, and we are glad to say that the house was
very well attended. Master Humphrey's Clock was extremely
well got up for the occasion. The tableaux illustrating the
work are very prettily and effectively arranged. The enter-
tainments will be repeated this evening. We are glad to no-
tice that Mr. W. J. Hammond and Miss Daly are engaged
for the season. A new piece is in preparation, which will
" take the town by storm." The subject is the life and death
of Buonaparte, with his exhumation, and burial in the His-
pital des Invalides. Great exertions are making to bring
this piece out well before the public. Cooke's horses will be
employed to give effect to the drama. Mr. Gomersal, who
made so decided a hit some years ago as Buonaparte, at
Astley's, has been engaged for this piece. So often has Mr.
Gomersal imitated Buonaparte in his manner and gesture,
that he has now altogether got rid of the acquired style. His
Napoleon was pronounced, we remember, at the time, to be
an admirable impersonation. Warde, we believe, took the
character at Drury-lane at the same time, but never made
anything of it. Mr. Gomersal carried all before him. The
house closes for a few nights to enable the manager to get the
piece up with spirit.
FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIETY.—This society gave their
tenth public performance in the Music-hall last evening. The
performance consisted of a large selection from the Messiah,
with Mozart's accompaniments, and we need scarcely ob-
serve that nothing could have been more appropriate to the
season. Previously to the commencement of the oratorio, an
anthem, composed for a similar society in London in honour
of the birth of a Princess Royal, was sang. It is a produc-
tion of considerable spirit, particularly the chorus, which
elicited general and well deserved applause. Mr. Stott, in
the recitative " Comfort ye," and the following air " Every
valley," was ineffective ; neither did Mr. Lunt produce a
very favourable impression. Mr. Davies and Mr. George
Lunt were in good voice, and sang admirably ; the former
gave " The people that walked in darkness" with excellent
precision. Miss Stott, who had a considerable portion of
the solos allotted to her, gave them with much expression.
She has evidently the materiel for a first-rate vocalist ; by
careful cultivation she cannot fail to acquire fame, and we
hope profit, as a concert singer. We scarcely know how
sufficiently to describe the excellence of the choruses. They
were everything that could be wished for. The band also
was excellent. Altogether, the performances gave general
satisfaction to a very crowded auditory.
SEAMEN'S WAGES.—At the police-court, on Friday, Wm.
Perry, a seaman, claimed a considerable amount of wages,
as due to him from the owners of the Sapphire, in which he
had served on a voyage to Lisbon, and afterwards to Monte
Video and back, the time being from the 7th November,
1839, to the 7th September of the present year. He admitted
that he had received some money on account. His claim
was resisted, on the ground that he had absented himself
from the ship at Monte Video for 14 days ; that he had
damaged a boat lent to him, and had lost her sails ; and that
the cost of repair, together with the expenses incurred in get-
ting him back from a Monte Videan vessel, on board of
which he had gone, would cover the whole amount of the de-
mand. To this the claimant replied that he had not willingly
absented himself from the ship ; but that the captain had lent
him a boat ; that he had gone on shore, and was kidnapped
and put on board the foreign vessel alluded to when in a state
of intoxication ; aria that he was taken from her by an officer
of a British man of-war, the Rose, and came home in the
Sapphire. The captain, and another party who appeared for
the owner, said that the services of the claimant for the voy-
age home was paid for by agreement (X 5), as the authorities
at Monte Video would not allow the ship to leave him there ;
that the boat was lent to him to go on board of a brig with a
letter, with positive injunctions that he should not go on
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oath that the man had told him that he had taken the bounty.
The man as positively denied the allegation. Mr. Rush-
ton, believing the captain's statement, said that the claim-
ant, in joining another service, constituted an act of deser-
tion, and adjudged that he was neither entitled to his wages
nor his clothes.

RUNCORN.—MERSEY AND IRWELL DOCKS.—EMBARGO
UPON THE SLOOP WILLIAM, BOUND FOR THE PORT OF
MANCHESTER.—On Saturday last, the sloop William,
freighted with coals from Rhyddland, in North Wales, arrived
in these docks on her passage to the port of Manchester.
Immediately upon her coming into dock, Mr. Winstanley,
the custom's-house officer, interdicted her proceeding any
further until a special order had been obtained from the
comptroller and general superintendent of the Liverpool
Customs. He stated to the Mersey and Irwell agent at
Runcorn, that he had received express instructions from the
superintendent-general of Liverpool to forbid every vessel
coming coastwise, proceeding beyond the limits of Runcorn.
On Wednesday evening last, five days after her arrival, the
William was still lying under her cargo in the dock, the cap-
tain not venturing to resist the extraordinary exercise of
authority by which he had been visited so summarily on
reaching Runcorn ; and the loss of time becoming a serious
consideration to him, as well as to Mr. Lolly, the consignee
of the potatoes, they were to be transhipped at Runcorn the
following morning, and forwarded to the port of Manchester
by Mr. Lolly's own flat. This interference, ostensibly on
the part of the Customs, but we are pretty sure, secretly, by
an influential public body, more deeply interested in the sub-
ject, and tremblingly apprehensive of Manchester's future
distinction as a port, we consider a very bold experiment
indeed, and a shameful restriction upon the liberty of British
merchants, as well as an offence offered to the port of Man-
chester, which will not be tolerated for a moment. It is an
act which will signally defeat its own purposes, for instead of
impeding the scheme of deepening and improving the Mersey
and Irwell navigation for the transit of sea-going vessels of
300 tons burden, it will accelerate this noble and spirited
enterprise exceedingly—for this petty jealousy of a rival port
is a striking evidence that the contemplated undertaking is
not so impracticable as at first sight it might appear to be ;
and we know from the report of a talented engineer, R. H.
Palmer, Esq., of London, that it is not only practicable, but
comparatively easy of accomplishment. We doubt not that
the obstruction offered to the William will be an event in the
future history of the port of Manchester of no small impor-
tance.—Manchester Courier.