The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-04-04 00:00:00

MATERIALS OF WAR.-TREASURY MINUTE.

The Lords Commissioners of the Treasury have again
had under their consideration the proclamation prohibiting
the exportation of arms and other warlike stores, in con-
sequence of numerous applications from traders to be
permitted to follow their business, when the articles are
not intended for warlike purposes. Their lordships have
issued a minute, stating that while they are desirous of
using every means in their power to prevent the improper
export of such articles, they are, nevertheless, anxious to
interfere as little as possible with the trade of the regular
merchants; and they have, therefore, with the view of
accomplishing both objects, given directions to the Com-
missioners of Customs, in order that they may be enabled
with more safety to permit the export of shipbuilding
materials and other prohibited articles, to take bonds from
the shippers, which shall specify :-1. The description of
the article shipped. 2. The port of destination. 3. The
names of the persons for whom the goods are intended. 4.
The purpose to which they are to be applied. 5. If for
ship-building, the name of the builder, and the name of
the person for whom the ship is building, and the service
for which it was intended ; and which bond shall only be
discharged by the production of the certificate of the
British consul at the port of destination that the said
goods have been so landed, and that all the terms of the
bond have been, so far as he can judge, complied with. In
transmitting these directions from the Treasury to the
principal officers of the Customs, at the several ports
throughout the kingdom, the commissioners have caused
two forms of bonds to be prepared, viz.: 1. For the expor-
tation of arms, &c., to a foreign country, 2. For exporta-
tion to the British colonies : and they have directed their
officers to forward to them copies of all such bonds as soon
as they shall have been executed, in order that they may
be sent to the consuls, or other proper authorities, at the
port of destination, for their information and guidance,
and to enable them to co-operate in carrying out the inten-
tions of Her Majesty's Government. The board also rely
on the vigilance and discretion of the officers of the Cus-
toms department, in giving effect on the one hand to the
object of the proclamation, without on the other hand
impeding the legitimate course of trade; and in all cases
of doubt or difficulty, they are immediately to apply to
them for instructions. The commissioners have, at the
same time, directed the principal officers at the several
ports to enjoin their officers to keep their attention upon
goods brought for shipment ; and in cases of reasonable
suspicion that the packages contain prohibited articles, to
report the circumstances, in order that, should it be deemed
expedient, the packages may be examined under the provi-
sions of the 119th section of the Act 16 and 17 Victoria,
chap. 107.

CONUNDRUM.—What is the difference between a Rus-
sian Admiral and the First Lord of the English Admiralty ?
One ports in Revel, and avoids war; the other revels in
port and declares war.— The Press.
How TO BE REVENGED UPON THE BARBI:W.—The
average price of American flour (says an American paper)
is now nearly two dollars a barrel less than it was three
weeks ago, yet the bakers seem to be quite oblivious of
the fact—their miniature burlesques upon sixpenny
loaves being, if anything, rather smaller than when the
raw material was at its highest price. The only cure for
this near-sightedness is for every family to do their own
baking, or at least mix their own loans,

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SocrErv.—An ordi-
nary meeting of this society was held last night; R.
WAndrew, Esq., vice-president, in the chair. After the
routine business had been disposed of, the secretary inti-
mated the receipt of two works conveyed to the society
by Dr. Thom, from his late brother, R. Thom, Esq., late
consul at Ning-po. The secretary next exhibited some
beautiful photographic delineations of snow crystals. On
the extreme beauty and accuracy of these photographic
representations, Dr. Thomson offered some interesting
remarks. Specimens of lapis lazuli, from South America,
were next exhibited ; as were also two Umbigo-oranges,
from South America, by Mr. Nisbet. These, which were
of large size, and fine flavour, and were free from pips,
were brought to Liverpool by the Brazileira. Several unique
books were exhibited, including two Spanish books published
in 1652 ; by the chairman; and a Hebrew grammar,printed
in Leyden in 1593, by Dr. Fischall ; it was printed in
Hebrew and English ; from which he argued that many
English students must have been in the habit of attend-
ing that university about the period to which the date of
that grammar referred. A manuscript copy of Hone's
Matrimonial letter, relating to the trial of Queen Caroline,
was exhibited by the secretary. It was a fine copy, and
had been carefully executed. A specimen of corundum
from Corrick Fell, in Cumberland was shown by Mr.
Archer, and Mr. Jones displayed some Siamese coins, of a
curious bullet shape, with a mark struck upon their side, he
also showed two coins of Alexander the Great, which had
been picked up on the banks of the Oxus. An intimation
was made by Mr. Marratt of the discovery of 14 species of
cryptogamia, not included in Dickenson's work. Among
the curiosities brought under notice during the evening,
was ,a copy of the Commonwealh Mercury, giving an ac-
count of the death of Cromwell. It was of a post-quarto
size, and was exhibited by the secretary. Mr. Bloxam
then read a paper on heraldry by Dr. Hume, after which
the meeting separated.
A PROFESSORSHIP of British History and Archaeology
is about to be established at King's College, London.

AN ART-TRUTH.—No woman ever knows how hand-
some she is until she has had her portrait painted.—Punch.