The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-09-07 00:00:00

The government steamer, Mastiff, Commander Lieut-
A. B. Beecher, which has for some time past been engaged
in the surveys of the coast in the vicinity of the Orkneys, on
the morning of Tuesday, off the Island of Sandor, was
driven from her anchor and carried ashore, a violent sea
beating over her for many hours afterwards. The whole
of the crew and officers were saved. Very little chance
remains of preserving the steamer, which is full of water,
and has sustained considerable injury. The Mastiff was
an old vessel, having been launched at Bideford in the
year 1813. She was nearly 200 tons burthen.
EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR BETWEEN A HEN AND PAR-
TRIDGE.—A short time ago, at Capenhurst, a hen, be-
longing to Peter Woods, took it into her head to build a
nest, and laid several eggs in a field adjoining his house.
During the same interval a partridge also laid several eggs
in the same nest. When the period of incubation arrived,
the hen first began to sit. Not long, however, had she
been in possession, before the partridge made her appear-
ance, when a general fight took place. The partridge
proved the conqueror, hatched the eggs, and the varied
brood now range the fields together, the chickens equally
wild as the young partridges.

CHEAP FOOD.—A correspondent of the Birminghant
Herald states, that " the price of hominy is now only
10s. 3d. per cwt., or a fraction above ld. per pound ; and
(he adds) when it is considered one pound produces six
pounds, it is astoilishiug that it is not in more general
use

A large baked pudding of six pounds weight(supq-
rior to rice) for little more than ld. ought to tempt fami-
lies to be consumers of it. The present price is 200 per
cent. cheaper than potatoes. All classes will doubtless
continue, even in cheap times, the use of an article that
was so much approved of and so eagerly sought after du-
ring the late high price of provisions. It is pronounced
by eminent medical men as highly nutritious.'
PENNY SUBSCRIPTION TO PURCHASE SHAKSPEARE'S
HOUSE.—On Thursday a meeting, convened by circular,
was held in Liverpool, for the purpose of devising means
for raising a fund, by penny subscriptions, in aid of the
purchase of Shakspeare's house. The meding was very
thinly attended. Mr. K. M. Young, who occupied the
chair, stated the object, and said a committee had been
formed in Stratford-upon-Avon and in London, for the
purpose of purchasing the house in which Shakspearelis
said to have been born. It was originally intended to
confine the subscription to a penny each contributor,, in
order to make the object a more national one ; but this
resolution has been abandoned to allow those who were
desirous of contributing more. A committee of twenty-
four was formed to carry out the object of the society. It
was suggested, at the close of the proceedings, that a
number of boxes should be procured, and left in public
places, after the fashion of the missionary collecting boxes.
THE BROTHERS BERKELEY.—As we have apparently
failed in a well-intended effort to restore the Berkeley
brothers to a proper paternal footing, we must leave these
litigious gentlemen for the future to settle their differences
—or to leave them unsettled—by themselves. Each has
sent us a letter since the receipt of those we published the
other day, and the only satisfactory part of the commu-
nication of either is that in which he alleges his very wise
intention to leave the other henceforth alone. " These
lines will close my part in the controversy," says Earl
Fitzhardinge ; and " leaving his Lordship, for the future,
to write, say, or do just what he pleases," is the substance
of the sentence with which Mr. Grantley Berkeley's let-
ter concludes. We are glad to see them showing unanimity
even on this point, and though we had rather found them
agreeing on something more amiable, it will be satisfactory
to the public, who care not for the little differences of the
brothers Berkeley, to be informed that they have promised,
at all events, to desist from attracting attention by their
noisy interchange of abuse. Napoleon observed, apropos
of the scandalous notoriety of a family dispute, that it
to of J was always better to have dirty linen

IMPERISHABLE PORTRAITS UPON CAMEOS. - The
finest specimens of cameo engraving that are known are
those devoted to mythological subjects, and consequently
are liable to the caprice or fancy of the artist, whose ob-
ject is to portray the general character without the neces-
sity of subscribing to the features, except so far as they
are classically delineated. A young medallist of the name
of Picourt has struck out a new path, and has ventured
upon taking likenesses upon cameos, which of course are
imperishable, and his essays have been crowned with the
greatest success by those of her Majesty and the Prince
Consort.—London paper.
WARNING TO BACHELORS.-A worthy couple, who
reside in the neighbourhood of Bishop Auckland, are ac-
customed to share between them the somewhat onerous
duty of collecting at night their numerous offspring. As
soon as the clock tolls the hour of repose, out the good
man sallies, up the highways and byeways, in quest of his

erratic' progeny. Thetask'of his Wife is to receive them
at home, to reckon them and marshal them to roost. On
a recent occasion, on his return home, after what he had
supposed a successful expedition, the poor man was met
at the door by his better half, who thus reported progress:
—" It is o' no use ; thou inun out again ; for I've been to
rekon the bairns, and there's now but thirteen in bed:"
THE RATE OF INTEREST.—At the breaking-up of the
Bank Court, on Thursday, it was announced that loans
would be made until the 14th of October upon Stock, Ex-
ohpn,,pr Rills and Rills of Evehancre, at the redored rate

of five per cent

wasned at home.
tpi
ethoe years
yearst The
ytpoccupation for the Berkeley laundry must, we should
think, be very considerable, if we are to judge by the
quantity of the family washing that they have been re-
cently putting out.—Times.
The report of the Edinburgh prison contains the case
of two young women, respectable servant girls, committed
for beating carpets in the street at a wrong hour ! There
o
m
n a
eo Found ndt thessee
e whole
the
nic
sltueieyti
eegaboaDl
finifesro
stealing
nmhte.
aefe, dt
bbami
eo pairnaebty
nosogfs
yooofprrfoortodfi rabbits.mbts
hoeoluere tdvti nine
fenoeorpngr.
is another case of a little boy, twelve years of age, com-
mitted to the lock-up (which legally forms part of Edin-
burgh prison) for " playing at a game called marbles, to
the annoyance of the public." He was liberated next day'
by order of the sheriff. The following entry in the Edin-
burgh inspection book deserves to be extracted :—" Aug.
21, 1846.—Visited the prison this day, and looked into
elvteirys
melancholy
r
another 000rie
disproportionate,
propriety
inarnoogadecypetn:iesar,an teunioof upwards
as,nhws imprisonedaeeta rtrfnaeokd s
taking
andogyg sffftmropoaorriaml cannothim an helpou ounce
questioninge o
f
bread
But if the statement of the boys J. H. and W. C., about
ten or twelve years of age, be true, and I have no reason
to doubt it, I think the punishment inflicted on them 15
of a field near Newhaven—an offence of which,a when I
was a boy, I was more than once guilty ; and if the same
judgment had been meted out to me, I might have been
ruined for life. (Signed) ADAM BLACK, Lord Provost."
The governor said that the statement referred to in the
foregoing entry was correct.
FATAL THUNDER STORM.—On Sunday afternoont
during the time of divine service in the parish church of
Welton, six miles east of Lincoln, that sacred edifice was
struck by lightning. One of the pinnacles of the tower
was first struck, a part of the battlements thrown down,
and an iron connecting rod, for the service of the clock,
was fused ; the inner clock dial was torn off, and the cur-
rent of electricity passed inside the church in the direction
from west to east. In the north aisle were suspended
three chandeliers, which served as conductors, for all per-
sons near to them were more or less affected, the fusing of
portions of the chains giving forth a most sulphureous
stench. Five,young women were scorched and blackened
by the explosion, but sustained no material injury ; a boy
had his clothes and shoes burnt, but was able to return.
home the same evening. The greatest fury of the explo-
sion took effect upon Mr. John Brownlow, wheelwright,
a stout elderly gentleman, who was struck to the ground,
and died instantaneously. There were no marks of injury
on his body, but his waistcoat buttons were melted off,
his trousers torn, and the right shoe completely burnt.
In the floor where he had been standing were perforated
thirty or forty small holes, by which the electricity passed
singing the
from his
to
asitshbeosdeyrvi c
et h; et
he conductor,clergym a intoclergyman
a n
dt he
othersearth.
hastened
_At tht
to
timethat
poafttthaefetxhpaloahsiurona,h wthehiccohnwgraesgtahe congregation were
psalm just before the sermon, and the Rev. Mr. William-
son, the curate, had ascended the pulpit; the shrieks and
terror occasioned by the terrific visitation at once put so
f this cata-
trophe, where they rendered prompt id scene
ob
a
They found Mr. Browntow to be uite and he must
have expired without a struggle ! Mrs. Brownlow stood
the settlement on the marriage of his said son. The next him in the pew, and escaped uninjured ! A neigh-
residue of his real and personal estate to' his wife, Mrs. hour in an adjoining pew was struck down insensible, but
Mary Walter, for her own absolute use, and has appointed received no serious injury. The lightning, after quitting
her sole executrix. The personalty was valued for pro- the north aisle, proceeded by the chancel, making various
bate duty at £90,000. holes in the eastern window and the stone-work near the
THE " BOTTLE."—This is the title of a series of eight ground beneath it. None of the parties, Mr. Brownlosv
plates, designed and etched by Mr. George Cruikshank, in excepted, sustained any serious bodily injury.
which the progress and result of drunkenness are illus- THE OAK CHEST TRAGEDY AT GLASGOW.—The Gies-
trated by the artist in his best manner. In the first plate gow Constitutional furnishes the following additional par-
the wretched " hero" of the tale induces his wife " just titulars respecting the three poor boys who were acciden-
to take a drop ;" the result is immediate, for in plate the tally shut up in a stable corn-chest at Glasgow from Se-
second, they pawn their clothes to support the bottle." turday night till Monday morning. "It is melancholy
In plate the third an execution is in the house, but " they but gratifying to think on the conduct of the poor boys to
comfort themselves with the bottle." The consequences one another, when placed in their awful position. They
are natural, or rather unnatural—violence, brutality, endeavoured to support each other's courage as well as
habitual drunkenness, quarrels, and ultimately murder. possible ; they cried as long as they could for assistance,
The wife is killed and the husband consigned to a lunatic but no one heard them, though they were not fifteen yards'
asylum—in other words, the bottle has " done its work," from their parents' roof. They pushed their heads up so
and all is misery and despair. As a work of art, the as to raise the lid at the end in which Robert, the youngest,
plates are deserving of much praise. As a warning against was confined ; and with a discrimination beyond his years,
intemperance in the class in which, unfortunately, the he fortunately put a marble in the chink to keep it open,
vice is most prevalent, these prints can scarcely fail of which served him, of course, to breathe more freely. James
having the same effect as the celebrated series of Hogarth. was next to his little brother, being in the mid compart-
COTTON CULTIVATION IN AUSTRALIA.—A prospectus meat, where there were some beans, and with the utmost
has been issued for the formation of a Company, to pro- sagacity and consideration, he managed to push through
Ch arb.ulets
inthteheisldest,
attempt
mote the cultivation of Cotton and other tropical produce a few of them to his companions in distress to appease
by means of European free labour in the territory of Coo- their hunger. He directed them not to eat many, for fear
lisland, in North-eastern Australia, with a capital of of becoming thirsty, and expressed his fears that he would
000inlfi0r,Os(40
isahapreresvoifdiXn2gsaeafcrhee.
pTashseagceapoiutatltios soon die.
tßoeefuorteagii,voilne
en-
toof be 25
expended,o, chest;ginupthheope
farmers and farm labourers, to cultivate cotton and other They then resigned themselves to their sad fate, and after
Australia for suitable persons and families, of the class of he cut his hand, and the blade of his penknife broke.
tropical produce, for the home market ; and second, in being exhausted with unavailing shouts and cries, which
the formation and maintenance of model farms, under the were not heard on earth, they praiseworthily and solemnly
superintendence of fit and proper persons, to be engaged repeated portions of the paraphrases, and finally addressed
for the purpose, from the cotton-growing States of North themselves to the Hearer and Answerer of prayer. Charles.
America ; in the erection of the requisite machinery for died first, after bidding his cousins farewell: James then
cleaning and packing the cotton, and in whatever else may bade his brother good bye, and spoke of his dear mamma,
be necessary to ensure the success of the endertaking. who would never see him again. He became so faint, he
Interest at the rate of seven and a-half per cent. per an- said he had just other three breaths to draw, and requested
num is to be allowed from the formation of the Company, that Robert would not speak him. There was a loud
on all the paid up capital. heavy breath, in a few seconds another, and in about a
DEATH FROM IMPURE AIR.—An inquest was held in minute, a deep loud sigh, and death closed his eyes for
Rosemary-lane, London, on Thursday, at the instance of ever. Robert soon after fell asleep, but he awoke on Sun-
the medical officer of the Whitechapel Union, on the body day morning, and heard, distinctly, the ringing of the bells
of a female child, aged two years, who died at the house during the day. He slept occasionally till the Monday
of her mother, in Haye's-court. It appeared that the morning at 6 o'clock, when he heard the men about the
child and its mother had been ill of fever and diarrhoea stable, when he was able to make such a noise as led to
for two months. The whole of the inhabitants of the his discovery."
court were equally affected. The officer had prescribed FEARFUL SHIPWRECKS.—A fearful gale has visited the
for the deceased, but the medicines would not act as they coasts of Scotland. At Thurso, on the coast of Suther-
would have done in a healthy atmosphere. He attributed landshire, one vessel laden with rye, and and another with
death to the poisonous effluvia of the atmosphere, from meal are total wrecks. At Tongue, the Canton, of Hull,
the want of drainage. It had been proved that decom- a large emigrant ship, has been wrecked, and all on board
posed animal matter in its pure state is fatal, and M. —upwards of three hundred—have been lost. The Bri-
Thenard, a French chymist, has found that 1-800 of its tannia, of Ardrossan, began to drift from her anchorage,
volume will destroy a dog, and 1 volume in 250 is suffi- in Scrabster Roads, about eleven o'clock, a.m., on the
cient to destroy a horse. Some course ought to be 22d instant, which, when perceived by the crew, they en
adopted, as the whole neighbourhood was liable to be at- deavoured to cut away one of the masts ; but it did not
tacked with fever. The jury returned a verdict to the effect come down at the time, so the vessel continued drifting,
that the child died from disease caused by the noxious and struck on the rocks, below the house of Pennyland
effluvium, from want of drainage ; and it was urged that (west of Thurso), by twelve o'clock. This being about the
the coroner should write to the Home Secretary, enclos- strongest of the gale, she was no time on the rocks, until,
ing a copy of the depositions. by the violence of the sea, one of her masts—the cut one
THE LOVE OF FILTH.--An inquiry was gone into on —went overboard. Her bottom then gave way, and her
Friday, as to the death of a woman named Elizabeth stern came out, part of which, along with some of the
Meuritt, one of those old straggling creatures who are cargo, came ashore. The whole of the crew were, at this
found about the streets, in London, wandering about the time, in great danger every moment, as the sea was in-
kennels for their daily subsistence. The woman lived in cessantly rolling over the vessel, and they could find no
Jacob-street, Bermondsey, close to the island Mr. Dickens place of safety, as the whole ship was giving way. The
has made memorable as the dwelling of " Quilp." scene gathered a numper of people on the shore, and
She would never allow any one to enter her room. She through the exertions of the coast-guard, several ship-
gloated in filth and avoided all cleanliness. About eleven masters, sailors, fishermen, and landsmen, got ashore five
weeks ago she fell, whilst in a fit, on the grate, in which of the crew. In doing so they were often exposed, and in
there was a large fire. She was most seriously injured, great danger of their own lives. The way of getting the
but she would have no medical advice. At first the men ashore was by a rope from the vessel to the shore-
noxious smells from the burns induced the neighbours The sea, at the same time, was tremendous, and a flowing
to interfere, and they insisted she would go to the work- tide. One of the men who was drowned was the first sea..
house. It was found necessary to force her into a parish man who left the vessel. The master abode by the ship
chair, as she declared she would sooner die than go to the until all had left him, and as his crew, one after another,
poor-house. Her place was then examined, and found to went, he gave them instructions how to manage them'
be void of all furniture. She had slept upon old straw, selves on the rope. He himself was lashed to the vessel,
No furniture was there, and the whole place was crowded and was standing on the outside on the chains, but the
with the most noxious vermin. Upon her admission into rope somehow loosened from the vessel, and he was un-
the hospital she was attended by Dr. Paul, who found her fortunately left on the wreck, for no help could be even
flesh clotted in masses with insects. She lingered until him until the tide receded, which was not until seven
Wednesday, when death removed her. o'clock. He remained in that situation for some hours,
GREAT FALLING OFF IN THE SALE OF GRAIN.—The when he gave them signs of life by holding up his hand,
events of the last few months have given us the means of occasionally. But the vessel shifted about, and some o 5
forming a much more accurate estimate than we could the spars came down about where he was. The spectatorg
have previously done of the extent of the deficiency of saw no more of him as he was,gone from the lashings—s°
our home-grown supplies. It appears from the Gazette that the captain and a seaman found a watery grave. Car
returns that the total quantity of grain of all descriptions thin M`Millan was also owner of the unfortunate vessel;
sold, in the market, in which the averages are made up, She was from Cronstadt, laden with rye meal for Ireland'
in the months of May, June, July, and August, 1845, The vessel is a total wreck. Most of the cargo is eolf,
was 2,932,504 quarters ; that that quantity declined in the landed ; almost all the outsides of the bags are wet,
copesponding months of 1846 to 2,373,040 quarters ; and the insides are dry. At Zetland there is lamentation an
tliat it further aeclined, in the same months of the present weeping, The packet boat from Dunrossness has been
year to 1,183,558 quarters. Thus it will be seen that the lost, with all on board, supposed to be six in number.
decline in the four months previous to the present har- three men, two women, and a child. A boat belonging
vest was not less than 1,748,946 quarters in comparison Buckhaven, William Robertson, master, who fished a
with 1845. As the sales from which the averages are Wick to Mr. David Simpson, went down off Roseheart
made up do not form more than the fourth or fifth part and all on board have perished. Another boat was close
of the sales of the whole kingdom, the apparent deficiency by at the time, from which a rope was thrown, but the
must be multiplied by four or five to give the total defy poor fellows lost their hold of it, and the gale was so felear„
ciency of grain. To this must also be added the deficiency ful at the time that the boat could not put back to their
in the supply of the potato crop, the exact extent of relief. Two of the boats that left Wick have arrived her':ii
which cannot be ascertained, but which is shown to have and from them we learn that there wen., four men d
been enormous by the high prices of the present year board. Six or seven others passed during the day,4lA"
compared with those of preceding years. we have reason to fear that more have perished.

t as to-justify the temporary relaxatio

step may have some effect in aiding many houses who are
now exposed to embarrassment, rather from the distrust
occasioned by the recent failures than any real unsound-
ness in their position, it may in some degree, for the mo-
ment, produce a useful result. Any idea, however, that
the measure is a prelude to a permanently reduced rate of
money, would prove no less futile than pernicious.— Times.
PRESENT TO JENNY LIND.—A superb testimonial has
been presented to Jenny Lind by Mr. Lumley, " as a
tribute of respect for her genius and noble qualities,
which have secured the enthusiastic admiration of Eng-
land." The entablature which contains this inscription
records her arrival in England on the 17th of April, 1847,
and her first appearance at her Majesty's Theatre on the
4th of May, 1847. It is of pure silver, dead and bright,
nearly three feet in height; the composition consists of a
pillar, wreathed with laurel, at the foot of which are
seated three draped figures, representing Tragedy, Come-
dy, and Music; standing on the pillar is a figure personi-
fying Genius. The subject has been treated with great
skill.

Some statistics on the manufacture of plate-glass in
Great Britain from 1819 to 1847, which have been prepared
by Mr. Henry Howard, of Plaistow, furnish another sa-
tisfactory indication of the ability of our artisans to com-
pete with foreigners, and to drive them from the field.
Until its entire remission by Sir Robert Peel, the excise
duty on British plate glass was nearly 40 per cent. of the
entire cost. In 1845, the price per foot 24 inches by 18
was 9s.—it is now ss. ld. ; the number of feet sold per
week was 23,000—it is now 70,000; the hands employed
were 6,ooo—they now amount to 12,000 ; the quality of
the production having meanwhile rapidly improved, and
the supply, notwithstanding the vast accession of hands,
being less adequate to the demand than at any former

period.
A TRUE PROPRET.—The steam-boat Cricket, (the
boiler of which exploded a few days since on the Thames)
was condemned, together with the Ant and Bee, more
than six months since, by Mr. Portwine, in his work on
the " Steam Engine," &c., in the following plain lan-
guage :—" There are three vessels on the Thames, called
the Ant, the Bee, and the Cricket—boats which profess
to work with low pressure condensing engines. The pub-
lic is not aware that they are working at 361 b. on the
square inch. The engines are by Joyce, two of 15-horse
power. The fuel consumed is only about 2 cwt. 1 qr. per
hour. These are the penny boats (now halfpenny) plying
from Hungerford to London Bridge, and working at high
pressure; they may, when out of order, blow up their
decks, and the myriads of passengers they are burthened
with."—Page 58.

The will of the late John Walter, Esq., of Bearwood
Hall, Berks, and Printing House-square, London, was
executed by him on the 9th of February, 1847, and he
died on the 28th July. He has devised to his son, John
Walter, Esq., M.P., the entire freehold premises and ware-
houses belonging to the establishment of the Times, in
Printing House-square, and leaves him all the interest in
the business. The freehold and copyhold estates, which
he possessed in the counties of Berks and Wilts, together
with the right of presentation to St. Catharine's Church,
Bearwood, he leaves to the trustees under the terms of