The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-31 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE

The weekly meeting of the Dock Committee was held
yesterday. The following members were present,—Messrs.
Sands, Horsfall, Barclay, Molynenx, Mellor, Evans, Shand,
Martin, Chapman, Chilton, Nicol, Tobin, Bulley, Smith,
Middleton, Holt, Ripley, and Holmes. Mr. Sands, chair-
man of the committee, presided.
_ _

The sub-committee of works presented plans, prepared
by Mr. Hartley, the surveyor, and recommended that graving
blocks be placed at the north side of Clarence basin, and that
the graving docks be lengthened. A very brief conversation
followed upon the importance of these improvements, at the
end of which Mr. HORSFALL moved that they be carried
into execution. The motion was seconded and carried
unanimously.

The sub-committee of works further recommended that
the south gates of George's dock passage be made 40
feet wide. The present width is 35 feet. The recommen-
dation of the committee, after a few remarks from Mr.
TOBIN, was adopted.

The 'SURVEYOR complained by letter that some pig iron,
which had been left on the quay by Messrs. Bayley Brothers,
had not been removed, and that it was interfering with the
erection of the transit sheds. He requested that the com-
mittee would take some steps to obtain immediate possession
of the ground. The chairman and several other members
said they had spoken to Messrs. Bayley upon the subject,
and they had promised to remove the cause of complaint.
The surveyor said the iron was still there this morning.
Eventually the secretary was requested to call the attention
of Messrs. Bayley to this subject by letter.
On the recommendation of the Sub-committee for the
department of the Marine Surveyor, the wages of the master
of the Liver buoy tender were increased from 30s. to 353.
per week.
A letter from the Secretary of the St. George's Steam-
packet Company was read, stating that the bottom of the
Clarence north graving-dock was in such a state, in conse-
quence of the water not having been pumped out, that they
could not get to the bottom of the " Hercules " steamer to
caulk her, and that they should hold the Dock Committee
responsible for any damages that she might sustain.
The SURVEYOR explained, that the water not being pumped
out was owing to the pumps having got out of order by the
decomposition of substances which had got into the water—
such as tar and other matters ; but that the dock was being
repaired to-day.
Mr. Evaars said, this kind of language of holding the
committee lilble for damage was perfectly absurd, because
they were mere casualties.

The SURVEYOR said, every precaution was taken to pre-
vent inconveniences of this sort, but sometimes they would

Messrs. Dnncan and M'Arthur, who had been fined
£3. 17s. 6d. for having left a quantity of iron on the quay of
George's Dock basin, contrary to the dock act, requested the
committee to interfere with the magistrates to get the fines
remitted, as they considered they had been unjustly imposed.

Several members intimated, that the committee had no
power to interfere.

Mr. HORSFALL said, this request was quite out of the
question ; and if the committee attempted to comply with it,
it would be a reflection upon the magistrates. Mesys.
Duncan and M•Arthur seemed to infer that the committee
had power over the magistrates, but it was a mistake alto.
gether.

Mr. EVANS said, that for the committee to interfere with
courts of justice, would very soon bring down upon them the
interference of the secretary of state.

The conversation then dropped, it being understood that
the committee could not interfere.

Mr. Gage, in a letter addressed to the committee, requested
that a copy of the recorded evidence on the subject of the
dock plans, as taken before Mr. Cubitt and Mr. Walker, the
engineers, might be fnrnished to him. The application was
declined.

Mr. CitAPmAN gave notice that at the next meeting he
would propose the following motion :
" That the land at the north-west corner of the South
Boundary Dock, adjacent to Messrs. Grantham and Page's
iron foundry, be appropriated for the purpose of ship-build-
ing, and that the same be let, on the usual terms, to the
shipwrights who have been obliged to quit their premises in
Trentham-street, on account of the land hitherto occupied by
them being required for the new dock."
Some business of a financial nature was then disposed of,
and the committee separated.

MR. STUART'S DEBUT AT THE HAYMARKET

Mr. Stuart, late of the Theatre-Royal, who has many
friends and admirers here, will perhaps be anxious to learn
the fate of his debut at the Haymarket on Wednesday last,
The Morning Herald says :

Last-night a new candidate for histrionic honours made
his first appearance before a London audience, at this
theatre. The character selected by Mr. Stuart, the gentle-
man in question, who has heretofore reaped a rich harvest of
public favour at Liverpool and Bath, was the arduous one of
lago, and he certainly acquitted himself sufficiently well to
justify the favourable opinion entertained of him in the pro-
vinces. His impersonation of the character is good, we had
almost said first-rate, where he trusts entirely to himself ;
but he more than once gave us reason to fear that he has
not courage to free himself from the trammels of imitation.
His figure is good for the stage; his countenance sufficiently
expressive ; he treads the boards firmly and well, but seems
to be too well acquainted with their clap-trap conventionali-
ties. His passion, too, sometimes degenerates into rant, and
he should remember that anything in the shape of immo-
derate rage is wholly out of keeping with the general charac-
ter of the wily villain lazo.

Having stated his faults, however, he must, in justice,
say that they are the faults which are almost inseparable
from a provincial theatrical education, and apart from these
Mr. Stuart has capabilities far beyond those of the or-
dinary class of aspirants, of whom it is our duty to give
an opinion. He is evidently a man of education and
talent, and if he trusts to his own natural delivery, forgetting
altogether how passages have been delivered by others, he
will become an acquisition to the metropolitan boards. We
must for the present take our leave of him, trusting that be
will not be discouraged by the array we have made of his
faults—a trouble we should not have taken did we not be-
lieve that he is well worth a lecture—that in fact he has suf-
ficient ability to afford to have his blemishes pointed out.
We hope erelong to see him in some character.
The Times, after finding some fault with Mr. Stuart, says
—" He displayed a sound understanding, together with va-
riety and power of expression ; what more is in him future
parts will disclose. He was well received, frequently ap-
plauded, aed called for at the conclusion.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT NEAR LEEDS.—On Wed-
nesday last, a serious accident, which has resulted in fatal

consequenci-s, befel the down-train which left Chesterfield
for the north a little before two p.m. When within a couple
of miles of Leeds, one of the wheels of the engine suddenly
broke, the rail was cut in two, and the engine was twice over-
turned on a slight elevation at the side of the line. The
engine driver (whose name was Hinde) was so dreadfully in-

jured that lie has since died. By keeping on the tender, the
stroker escaped without injury, except a few slight cuts. The
carriage next to the tender was overthrown by the shock ;
but most providentially none of her passengers were injured.
The unfortunate engine-driver (who was formerly employed
on the Sheffield and Rotherham line) has left a wife and two
children, who reside at Owlerton, near Sheffield. The be-
reaved woman was only six weeks ago delivered of her children
who are twins.

THE ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—
Another of the unfortunate sufferers by this melancholy
catastrophe, died on Wednesday afternoon. His name was
Woolley, and from the injuries he received very faint hopes
were entertained of his recovery from the first. It is said
that this is the 38th victim to the Sonning Hill cutting. The
publication at this moment, of the number and nature
of the fatal accidents that have taken place throughout
the line, from the commencement of the works, would, no
doubt, have a very beneficial operation in favour of the
public.

FRACAS BETWEEN THE ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN AND
THE LORD CHANCELLOR.—We have heard that a serious
fracas has taken place between these high functionaries,
which has led to a long and most edifying correspondence.
Rumour is busy respecting portions of the correspondence,
which we do not feel we would be justified in publishing. It
is enough to state that the causes belli originated with the

Archbishop, who adopted the precedent set by Lady Had-
dington respecting the lady of the Lord Chancellor, who,
feeling himself thereby aggrieved, a long and, as is stated,
most angry correspondence ensued. How the matter will
terminate we know not. It has, however, set the gossip-
mingers by the ears.—Dublin Monitor.
It is a curious fact that children are the best judges of cha-
racter at first sight in the world : there is an old Scotch pro-
verb—" They are never cannie, that dogs and bairns dinna
like ;" and there is not a more true one in the whole collec-
tion.

THE BITER BIT.—A very good joke occurred the other
day in a lodging-house in this city. For some time it had
been observed by one of the inmates that some bags of con-
fections, and a very nice parcel of muscatel raisins, were
rapidly disappearing, although seldom touched by the owner.
After consulting with the landlady, a place was determined
upon to try the taste of the thief. who was, as yet, undis-
covered. About fifty of the raisins were opened up, and
into each a quantity of Cayenne pepper was so neatly intro-
duced as to be quite imperceptible. The bait was not long
in taking effect. In less than an hour after the trap had been
set, one of the female servants came running into the kitchen
with a face glowing like crimson, the tears in her eye, and
and calling aloud, " Water, water-0 Lord, mistress, I'm
poisoned—send for the doctor !" Thus the delinquent was
discovered, and she now declares, (after being pardoned on
promise of better conduct) that stolen raisins are not always
sweet, although eaten iu secret.—Glasgow Constitutional.
A HoAx.—A most disgraceful hoax has, within the last
few days, been played off upon a highly respectable young
lady residing in York-place, City-road. On Christmas-day
she was surprised at receiving about eighteen notes, accepting
an invitation to an evening party, to be given by her on the
Monday following ; and, upon inquiry, found that cards had
been issued in her name by some unknown person. On
Monday morning a young man called at the shops of several
tradesmen residing in the vicinity of Hoxton and Finsbury,
and ordered various articles to be sent to the above-named
house in the evening. Accordingly, at seven o'clock the
door was literally besieged with a posse of persons with
innumerable articles in hand-carts, trays, &c. ; and it was
with considerable difficulty they were induced to believe that
they had been so duped. At nine o'clock a quadrille baud
arrived, and at ten o'clock a reinforcement of green-grocery,
porter, spirits, mince-pies, tripe, sausages, oysters, jellies,
&c., were announced, and of course refused admission, to the
great discomfiture of the luckless wights who had been thus
entrapped. Such proceedings may he fine sport to weak-
minded persons, who can be amused by them ; but they are,
nevertheless, scandalous in the extreme, and it is to he hoped
that, if the parties can be traced, they will meet with their
deserts.—Morning Herald.

ROYAL CONDESCENSION.—A short time since, a relative
of Mr. J. Carver, the acting secretary of the Mechanics'
Institution, in Ipswich, being a practical farmer, residing in
Norfolk, invented a new description of plough. Having oc-
casion to visit London, he ventured to intimate his wish that
he should be permitted to exhibit his invention to Prince
Albert, a desire which was gratified as soon as mentioned.
To the Palace the Norfolk farmer trudged, saw his Royal
Highness, and, being exceedingly loyal and a bit of a poet
withal, he produced some verses eulogistic of her majesty,
which with the humblest simplicity he begged the Prince
would at once present to the Queen, as such a course would
afford him (the poet) considerable gratification. No
.sooner
said than done, and off the Prince started from his own
apartments to her majesty, from whom he soon returned
with the intelligence that his royal consort was exceed-
ingly delighted with the poem. The farmer poet bowed
and retired. Shortly after, to his great surprise, a handsome
Bible was transmitted him from royalty as a token of remem-
brance ; but, thinking that the gift mightbe turned to a good
Public account, he wrote to say, that the gift did not contain
the autographs of her majesty or the Prince, adding that if
their illustrious names graced the book, he thought that he
should be enabled to raise a considerable sum towards the
funds of the African expedition, of which the Prince was a
patron. Prompt attention was paid to this second request,
and the farmer was informed that if he sent the Bible to the
palace, his wish should certainly be complied with. To the
Palace the Bible was of course transmitted, and in due time
was returned with the autographs upon the spare leaf. The
Bible so graced has become an object of considera.ble int.erest,
and has been exhibited to troops of admiring friends in this
town, as well as in the locality where the possessor resides,
the African expedition, as intened, benefitting by the exhibi-
tion.—Suffolk Chronicle.