The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-04-29 00:00:00

THE OPTHALMIC INFIRMARY.

The report for the year 1835, recently pUblished by the ma-
naging committee of this valuable institution, is calculated to
afford the highest satisfaction to its friends and supporters.
Upwards of twenty thousand poor people suffering from disease
or injury to the eye have received relief since the Opthalmic
Infirmary was first opened in 1820. The patients are still. ra-
pidly increasing in numbers, for we find that in 1833 surgical
assistance was given to 1129, in. 1834 to 1768, and in 1835 to
1986 persons.
The operations for cataract—formerly a single operation of
this kind was considered an era in the life of an oculist—are now
nearly equal in the Liverpool Opthalmic Hospital to that of any
similar institution in the metropolis, and the results have been
more beneficial, for Mr. Neill, the operating surgeon, has been
successful in forty out of forty-two of the cases of cataract fur
which he has performed that delicate operation during the past
year.
We regret to find that the funds of the charity are insufficient
to meet the unavoidable expenditure caused by the great in-
crease of patients, which, we should observe, are not exclusively
confined to the limits of Liverpool and its suburban villages.
But for some unexpected contributions the committee at one
time were about to refuse admittance to in-slior patients on ac-
count of the exhausted state of their exchequer., We have,
however, no doubt that this fact has only to be more generally
known to insure what ,further assistance may be necessary to
support the Opthalmic Infirmary in its present state of usefulness.

THE DOCK RATE-PAYERS PETITION TO PARLIAMENT.—
We this day publish in another part of the STANDARD the peti-
tion of the ,Dock Rate-payers to the House of Commons, which
we recommend to the immediate attention if the ship-owners and
merchants of this port, and especiallito that of the bond-holders,
who are most interested in the proper management of that im-
portant estate. The petition, which has already received the
signatures of more than 400 of the most respectable Dock rate-
payers, will remain at the Exchange Rooms until to-morruw
evening, when it will be dispatched to London for presentation.
We beg to invite the attention. of the public to a new topoL
graphical and historical work entitled the Hibernian Gazeteer,
by the Rev. G. Hansbrow. The resoni.ces of Ireland are deve-
loped in a very able and clear mau,ner. The antiquities and
modern customs of the country are contrasted and explained,
and the book is replete with statistical knowledge of every kind,
rendering it both useful and entertaining.
LAUNCH.—On Monday next, the 2d of May, at half-past
eleven, will be launched from the yard of Messrs. Humble and
Milcrest, in Trentham street, west side of the Salthouse Dock,
a splendid new ship, of abont 700 tons burthen, to be called the
" William Jardine." She belongs to Sir John Tobin, and is
intended for the East India trade.

INFANT DESERTED.—On Thursday evening, at dusk, a young
boy discovered, in Garden-lane, a few yards from Everton-brow,
an infant, which had been cruelly deserted by its mother, It
was immediately conveyed to the house of Mr. Shaw, the con-
stable of the village, who has offered a reward of £5 for the dis-
covery of the inhuman wretch.
THE DUBLIN STEAM PACKET COMPANY.—From an adver-
tisement which appears in another column it will he seen that
matters have been so arranged, that the Dublin Steam-packet
Company, which has already conferred invaluable benefits upon
this town by increasing its intercourse with Ireland will not be
prevented, in consequence of their bill being thrown out, from
applying their capital to building additional steam-vessels, and
otherwise extending, their trade.—See advertisement.
CHESTER RACES.—We understand Mr. Smith, the spirited
proprietor of the Eastham Ferry, intends to have in readiness a
Isumber of extra conveyances from Eastham for Chester on the
race days. Places may be • taken at Mrs. Dod's, Eastham
Packet office, St. James-street.—(See advertisement.)

Sr. ANNE'S CONSERVATIVE ASSOC rATION.—The members
of this flourishing association intend to celebrate their first
quarterly meeting by dining together at Mr. Hplden's, Rich-
mond-row, on Tuesday next. We understand a strong muster
of the friends to the conservative cause is expected upon this
occasion. Nothing tends so much as demonstrations of this
kind to enforce respect from opponents, to inspire friends with
confidence, and to carry out with success, the loyal and consti-
tutional principles upon which conservative societies are formed.
—(See advertisement.)
STRAND THEATRE, LON DON.—MeSBII. W. J. Hammond, of
the Liver Theatre, and Douglas Jerrold, the author of "The
Rent Day " and several other dramas, opened 'this theatre on
Monday. The house was well filled, and the performances com•
menced with an introductory burletta, written for the occasion
by Leman Rede. called "Come to Town," in which Mr. Ham-
mond made his first appearance before a London audienec, and
was eminently succeseful. Hammond's performances are spoken
of in high terms by the London critics.

- -
MURDER OF A WIFE BY HERHUSBAND.—A man named
Clark, a journeyman carpenter, who resided at Avily, in the
county of Essex, murdered his wife in a fit of jealousy on Thurs-
day last, by nearly severing her head from her body with a razor.
The parties had only been married about eight months, and the
woman was far advanced in pregnancy. The murder was com-
mitted about two o'clock in the afternoon, and before the deed
was compieted the victim contrived to alarm the neighbourhood.
The murderer made no attempt to escape, but, on the contrary,
very coolly requested that a police-officer might be sent for.
Duaust PETITION.—The odds now are—" Lombard-street
to a China Orange" against Mr. O'Connell's retaining his seat;
and yet he continues to harass and perplex the petitioners, and
to annoy and disgust the committee by a bootless and wanton
perseverence in a defence that is absolutely and utterly hope-
'ems. If any doubt existed previously to Saturday—and there
has not been the slightest with respect to the result for the last
three weeks—if, indeed, there ever were any, the decision on
Saturday set it at rest; and we hope in our next to be able to
announce the termination of this arduous and long-protracted
struggle.—Dublin Beetling Mail.
FIRE IN THE BURLINGTON ARCADE, LON DON.—Mr.Absolonf
the person in whose Ouse this dreadful tire originated, has been
under examination for several succession days at the Mark
borough-street, Police-office, on a charge of arson, promoted,
against by Mr. Barber Beaumont, the manager of the
County Fire Office. At the close of the investigation on Mon-
day, Mr. Conant, the magistrate, said that to his mind the case
was one of strong suspicion against Mr. Absolon, and con-
cluded his observations by calling on him to put in bail, himself
in £lOO and two sureties in £5O each to answer any charge,
if the County Fire Office chose to indict.
CANDIVILTES FOR Mayo —John Browne, Esq-... of Mount
Browne, has addressed the electors of Mayo requesting their
suffrages in his favour at the ensuing election for a Knight of
the Shire. His address is highly spirited. But Dr. Hale has
asserted his right to the nomination of this county, and a Mr.
Dillon Browne having answered the Committee satisfactorily'
as to the eaperrses (two thousand pounds of course being the
minimum.) and being moreover "a good Catholic." has been
put in nomination by the Rev. Mr. Hughes, one of Monsignure
Macho:la's. returning officers. • The Hon. Constantine Dillon,'
(a near connexion of the Earl of Mulgrave,) was passed over
as being a Protestant, and not willing to pledge himself to the
_priests. The religious sem goes on prosperously.
DEATH OF MR. JAMES WOOD, BANKER, GLOUCESTER.—
This gentleman, who for above half a century conducted a large
banking establishment, of which he was the sole proprietor, wed
on the 20th instant, at the advanced age of four score years.
The Gloucester Chronicle. speaking of Mr Wood's character,
says:—The late James Wood, Esq., was possessed of such im-
mense wealth, both real and personal, (it appears by the books
of the Bank of England that he was the greatest stocl.holder in
the world,) that it is not to be wondered at, especially consider-
ing the present state of society, that he should have been the
object of much jealousy and envy amongst a certain class of
-persons; but the writer, who was on terms of the greatest inti-
maey with him from his childhood, can from his own personal
knowledge hear testimony to many acts of kindness done by
• him, not, only to himself, but to various other persons in this city
and neighbourhood, during the awful crisis of 1825, when so
many banks in the kingdom stopped payment, and by which
timely aid they were saved from inevitable ruin. It is reported
that the property left by the late Mr. Wood amounts to nearly
two millions ; and that it. has been divided by his will into to it
parts; one of which is to go to Mr.. Alderman Wood, M.P., one
.1•!? Mr, Chadborn, his confidential solicitor, sine to Mr. Jacob
Vaborne, and one to Mr. Surman, his apprentice, and we believe
a distant relative on the
maternal side.—[Mr. Alderman. Wood,
M.P., familiarly„known "in the city" by the soubriquet (if " Ab-
solute Wisdom
is not a relation of the deceased Mr. Wood, of i
Gloucester. The alderman is a Devonshire man, and Tiverton
claims the honoUr of bei •
ng the birth-place of this distinguished
citizen and brewer's hop and drug merchant.]
GREEN PEAS FROM PORTUGAL—The communications with
Spain and Portugal, by means
of steam vessels direct from
London, , and which now takes weekly, are likely to open
to a certain extent new
The Liverpool. which made .the tilast
"age on this line from
. Gibraltar, Cadiz, and Lisbon,,
and has b
such among other freight
a quantity of- peas, beans,
till near as in this
climate do. net come to maturity
table.ur months later,
the
freighth cost of
all io excellent condition and for the
peas in Lisbon is only three-pence the pound,
15 per cent. on the value,• and the duty a, mereasie about
for less than the midsummer price of .the nrticie.4,,ic.aTnitey
• placed upon our tables at a time when it was ranked among our
• choicest luxuries; and the, nis plus ultra of extravagance on the
-• part of our 'first civic entertainments. In the same manner,
-after the lapse of .a week or two more, ripe mares and other
fruits of that climate will be imported at a cost in proportion
equally peek
moderate. The voyage, asperformed by these vessels,
does not on an average exceed one w.