The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-26 00:00:00

Dtstrirt

BAD TlMES.—There are 502 empty houses in Preston.
Of the numerous cotton mills in Preston there are only
ten working full time.
On the 2nd inst., at Dalton, near Lancaster, a man
named William Johnson, was stabbed in a scuffle with
another man, named Myers. On Friday week, Johnson
died of the injury, and Myers has been committed for
trial on a charge of wilful murder.
Mr. Cobden, M.P., made his first public visit, since
his return, on Tuesday, to the chief scene of his past
labours in the free-trade cause—the League-rooms, New-
all's-buildings, Manchester. A great number of free-
traders—it being the principal market-day—were present.
NEW MAGISTRATES.—At the Quarter Sessions, held
at Preiton, on Wednesday, Robert Munn, Esq., of Heath
Hall, Bacup, and John Lord, Esq., of Bacup, qualified as
county magistrates. On Thursday, John Birkbeck, Lsq.,
of Giggleswick, Porkshire, qualified as a county magis-
trate. On Friday, John Addison, Esq., qualified.
MEETING OF OPERATIVES AT STOCKPORT-011Thurs-
day, a meeting of operatives was held at Stockport, to
consider as to a cessation of work. A very impassioned,
but respectful appeal was adopted to the mayor and clergy
and manufacturers of the district, for pecuniary relief. A
resolution that nothing but such cessation can establish
confidence between the emgloyer and employed, or benefit
either, was carried unanimously, as was also another to
the effect that the mill operatives of the town should give
over working on Saturday last.
THE SHEEP WORRIER.-011 Saturday, we are informed,
this dog destroyed fifteen sheep, the proporty of Mr.
Thomas Kitchen, of Brock Bottoms ; on Sunday, seven,
the property of T. F. Brockholes, Esq., of Claughton ; on
Monday, he killed seven, belonging to Mr. Brewer, of
Barnacre Moor, from which place he was chased by a
number of persons as far as Whitewell ; on Tuesday he
killed two or three at Green Nook, Whittingham ; and on
Wednesday he destroyed one at Mr. James Ratcliffe's,
Shard Green, in Broughton.—Preston Chronicle.
IMPORTATION OF COTTON INTO PRESTON.—MOSt Of
the mill-owners in Preston intend closing their manufac-
tories when their present stock of cotton is worked up.
In consequence, very little is now brought into Preston.
During the week ending on Thursday last, not above a
hundred bales had been brought into Preston, a quantity
not equal to the individual consumption of several con-
cerns in Preston. Such a circumstance has never before
been known in the history of manufactures in this town.
—Preston Chronicle.

...

THE DISTRESSED OPERATIVES IN WARRINGTON.—
Yesterday week a public meeting of the inhabitants of
Warrington was held at the Music Hall, to consider the
distressed condition of the working classes of the town,
Mr. W. Beaumont, the mayor, in the chair. The room
was crowded. and amongst those present were J. W. Pat-
ten, Esq., M.P., G. Greenall, Esq., M.P. J. Greenall,
M.P.. and others of distinction. Mr. J. W. Patten said
the distress was undeniable, and there were two modes of
relieving it ;—first, by enabling the guardians of the poor
to use a greater latitude in granting aid ; and secondly,
by private subscriptions. He proposed a resolution to the
effect that it was desirable relief should be given, by em-
ploying labourers under the out-door test, in such work
as the guardians could find for them. This was carried
unanimously. Mr. G. Greenall moved in effect, that a
subscription be also opened, to find employment, give
food, &c., in special cases, at the discretion of a commit-
tee. This being agreed to, a committee was appointed.
It was announced that the subscriptions already amounted
to £5OO. (Cheers.) Thanks were voted to the chairman,
and the meeting closed.
CHESHIRE QUARTER SESSIONS.—The general quarter
sessions of the peace, for Cheshire, commenced at the
Court-house, Nether Knutsford, on Monday last, before
Trafford Trafford, Esq., chairman, and a numerous at-
tendance of magistrates. The calendar was rather a heavy
one ; there being about ninety-six prisoners for trial,
including eight or nine cases of misdemeanor. The
treasurer produced the quarterly estimates on which the
which the county rate is made. They stood thus :—For
the current quarter : Expenses—Bridges, £2158 6s. Bd. ;
house of correction, £lOOO ; county gaol, £290 ; lockups,
£558 ; general payments, £6221 Ils. 2d. ; prosecutions.
£1998 3s. 7d., advance to gaoler, £270. Total £12,466
lls. sd. Receipts—Balance in hand, £7482 3s. 4d. ;
River Weaver, £5OOO ; county rate. £1073 Bs. 6d. ,• fines,
£248 3s. ; repayment by gaoler, £270. Total £14,073
14s. 10d. ; leaving a balance of £1607 13s. sd. to the credit
of the county on the following quarter. For the January
quarter the estimates were thus set down : Expenses—
Bridges, £1125 ; house of correction, £lOOO ; lock-ups,
£700; general payments, £5091 Ils. Bd. ; prosecutions,
£2058 19s. Bd. ; advance to gaoler, £270. Total £10,173
1 ls. 4d. Receipts—Balance, £1607 13s. sd. ; River
Weaver. £6OOO ; fines, £256 ; repayment by gaoler, £270.
Total £8134 2s. 3d. ; leaving a balance of rather more
than £2OOO to be provided for. A county rate of one
farthing in the pound was then ordered, which will produce
nearly £llOO, leaving a small deficiency in the estimates
of the quarter. The expense of rebuilding and repairing
bridges, during the year, was stated to be £4093 19s. 10d.
PRESTON QUARTER SESSIONS.—FRACAS BETWEEN
THE CHAIRMAN AND THE SENIOR COUNSEL OF THE
COURT.—In the trial of a simple case of felony at the
Preston Sessions on Friday last, in which a woman was
charged with stealing a cloak from a pawnbroker's shop,
a scene of some interest took place between Mr. Segar,
the leader of the Sessions bar, and the chairman of the
court, who is Mr. Thomas Batty Addison. The chairman
had, it would appear, summed up in a most peculiar man-
ner, with a strong bias against the prisoner. Mr. Seger
interrupted him, and pointed out what he considered an
undue influence on one point against the prisoner; also
other inaccuracies as to the locality where the offence was
committed, which also led to an inference against her.
The chairman left the first objection untouched, and en-
deavoured to reconcile the error as to locality as of no con-
sequence in the case. He then proceeded with his summing
up. While the jury were deliberating, the chairman and
some of the magistrates retired to " lunch", leaving two
others behind, who were also about to go, when the jury
said they had agreed upon their verdict. Mr. Marshall
desired it to be received, and it was a verdict of " guilty".
On its being recorded, all the magistrates left the court,
and the bar followed their example. Nearly an hour
elapsed before they returned, and the court was still
minus the chairman. Mr. Segar complained of the loss
and waste of time caused by his absence, and by the
direction of Mr. Marshall he was sent for, but did not
appear until five minutes afterwards.—Mr. Segar, before
sentence was passed, said the case had been presented to
the jury in such a manner by the chairman, that he should
for the future decline to defend any prisoner in that court,
as it was then presided over. The chairman had, in the
most subtle manner, insinuated to the jury that he ex-
pected them to return a verdict of guilty • and, as might
be expected, a verdict of guilty they hareturned. He
had further insinuated that if a contrary verdict was re-
turned, the jury would not be acting as men of intelli-
gence and principle. Under these circumstances he felt
it his bounden duty, not only to himself but to
the chairman, to state, that for the future he should
retire from the defence of prisoners in that court.
In the present instance, from the moment the chairman
commenced summing up, he felt it was utterly impossible
to expect that the case could receive fair and deliberate
attention at the hands of the jury. He did not quarrel
with the verdict, but the manner in which the chairman
had summed up. He was quite sure that no gentleman
defending a prisoner in that court, was capable of success-
fully contending against the extreme subtlety and the
peculiar views which the chairman seemed to have against
accused persons. If he were in error, lie should be glad
to be convinced that he was so, and he imputed no inten-
tion on the part of the chairman to do injustice. Several
of the magistrates strongly urged Mr. Segar to withdraw
the word subtlety," which he had more than once used
with reference to the chairman, and they expressed a de-
sire that they should not, from the difference that had
arisen, lose the valuable services of either of the learned
gentlemen. Mr. Seger at first disregarded these appeals ;
but after the prisoner was sentenced—to two months' im-
prisonment, though recommended to mercy by the pro-
secutor—he said, that in using the word subtlety, he did
not impute any bad designs or intentions to the chairman.
The latter expressed himself satisfied, and the subject
dropped. Mr. Segar threw up his brief for the defence in
a case of misdemeanour which was tried immediately
afterwards.
SUICIDE OF A CLERGYMAN.—On Sunday afternoon
week, Haslingden, near Blackburn, was thrown into a
state of considerable excitement, owing to a report that
the Rev. W. Gray, rector of Haslingden, who is also a
magistrate, had committed suicide by cutting his throat.
It appears the reverend gentleman read prayers in the
morning, and afterwards christened or baptised several
children in the church. He eat his dinner as usual, and
at half-past two o'clock in the afternoon he was found
dead in his bed, with his throat cut in a shocking manner.
A razor was found in his hand. No reason can be as-
signed for the rash act. Deceased was about sixty years
of age. The inquest was held on Tuesday. From the
evidence it was manifest that the mind of the deceased
had been seriously disordered ever since his return from
Cumberland on the 2d instant. The deceased gentleman
had, on the magisterial bench, given evidence on the Bth
inst. of his disordered mind, by requiring to be reminded
of the leading particulars of a charge of vagrancy he was
hearing. He bad also entertained gloomy forebodings
regarding the late thanksgiving day (on which the unhappy
act was committed), that he would break down on that
day.—The jury returned a verdict to the effect, that the
deceased had died by his own hand, being at the time of
his death of unsound mind.

QuEEn CASE.-At the Chester Police-court, on Mon-
day, a young man, named Henry Pritchard, a butcher,
from Overton, and a servant girl from the same place,
were charged with a felony under the following circum-
stances :—lt appeared that the female defendant has for
some time past been living in Overton, with a man named
Peter Davies, an elderly person in very comfortable cir-
cumstances, and over whom she has managed to acquire
considerable influence. It has been suggested that there
was a very strong affection subsisting between them ' • but
whether this was so or not did not come out during the
enquiry. It was clear, however, that she had an admirer
in the person of the male prisoner, who was in the con-
stant habit of visiting her, and who appears to have es-
tablished himself on very friendly terms with her master.
A short time ago, Miss Taylor suggested to Mr. Davies
that they should bid an adiei to Overton, and commence
business as publicans in Liverpool; and to this course Mr.
Davies consented, having drawn £lO5 for the purpose of
enabling them to conduct the business respectably, he
confided it to the keeping of his servant, and gave her
full powers to proceed to Liverpool and make the necessary
arrangements for commencing business forthwith. She
accordingly went thither, and on her return stated that
she had taken the public-house, and urged her master to
make the necessary preparations for entering upon it.
Miss Taylor, having got possession of her master's watch
and a quantity of his wearing-apparel, then came to
Chester, where she was to remain to receive what chattels
Mr. Davies possessed, which were to be packed up and
transmitted to her per railway. During these preliminary
proceedings, the male prisoner had tendered his advice,
and gave his assistance to enable Mr. Davies to enter
upon his new project as early as possible ; and it appeared
that Miss Taylor was accompanied to Chester by him,
and with him took lodgings at the Commercial Inn.
While the delinquents were waiting in Chester the old
man for some reason or other began to suspect that he
had not used quite so much prudence in the matter as he
might have done, and resolved before sending off
his household furniture to proceed to Liverpool, and
enquire whether the public-house had really been taken.
He did so ; and found to his consternation that the parties
occupying it knew nothing of the matter; that they had
lived there for several years ; and that the story of his
faithless servant was an entire fabrication. He immedi-
ately came to Chester, and having given information of
the affair to the police, the prisoners were both appre-
hended, and are to be taken before a Flintshire magistrate.
The accused, it is said, look on the affair as a clever joke
from beginning to end.—Chester Courant. •

STATE OF THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS.

(From the Manchester Examiner of Saturday.)

We are sorry to announce the suspension of the old and
highly respectable banking establishment of Messrs.
Scholes and Co. of Norfolk-street, which took place yes-
terday. The firm has been in existence more then half a
century, having commenced business in 1790. The liabi-
lities of the house are small. The immediate cause of the
suspension is understood to have been the return of some
bills discounted for parties in Manchester which have been
dishonoured. There is no likelihood of the firm resuming
operations, it being the wish of the partners to wind up
the concern. An announcement has been made by the
house that they confidently expect to be able to meet all
their engagements in full. The stoppage of Messrs.
Scholes and Co. is universally regretted here, from the
well-known respectability of the house, and the cautious
manner in which they have always transacted business.
On Tuesday* we stated that the official report for Man-
chester showed a diminution, within one week, in the num-
ber of hands working full time of about £5OOO. We fear
that the next report will exhibit an increasingly unfavora-
ble result, as many more mills have closed and are likely
to close before Tuesday.
From Preston we learn that fully one-half of the mills
there and in the immediate neighbourhood are at present
stopped, and almost all the rest are going short time, while
there is no prospect of things becoming better.
At Bury and Heywood trade is in a much worse state

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3

than it was a week ago. At the latter place, only three
out of thirty mills are working full time.
ln the Rochdale and Middleton district, matters become
worse daily. There are 186 mills, employing about 24,000
hands; out of which, 14 mills, employing 1,685 persons,
are stopped ; 80 mills, employing 12,000 hands, are work-
ing three and four days a week; and 92 mills, em- •
ploying nearly 10,000 hands, are at present working full •
time; but many of these expect to commence short time
or stop altogether after the present week. The other trades
in the district are in a very depressed condition.
In Blackburn and its neighbourhood trade is every day
more depressed. Of twenty-seven mills, employing
about 12,000 persons, eight, usually giving work to 3,700
hands, are entirely stopped ; nine, employing nearly 6,000
hands, are going three days per week ; six, employing
about 2,000 hands, working four and five days a week ;
and three employing 442 hands, working full time. In a
circuit of six miles round Blackburn there is double this
number of mills, the great majority of which are either
closed or going short time. The operatives in this dis-
trict were never known to be in a worse condition, and
they bear their sufferings with much patience. The hand-
loom weavers are in full employment, but their wages are
miserably low. The calico printers at Accrington,
Clitheroe, &c., have very little to do at present, and in
some places are entirely without work.
In the township of Oldham 20 mills, employing upwards
of 4,000 hands are going full time; 39, employing 7,500
hands, working short time ; and 6. employing 1,200
stopped. A report was circulated that the authorities of
Oldham had considered it necessary to swear in a number
of special constables, being apprehensive of the conse-
quences of a general strike. This report we believe is an
unfounded one, although a good deal of excitement pre-
vails in the district, with regard to the expected general
cessation of factory work.

At Ashton, the operative spinners, &c., employed at a
majority of the mills in the town and neighbourhood, in
pursuance of a resolution to which we have of late fre-
quently alluded, have at length ceased working, and there
seems at present little probability of their commencing
work again. A meeting was held to-day at Dukiufield,
in which it was stated that nine out of the twelve mills
represented were now stopped, and that the three others
would be closed this evening. Everything as yet remains
perfectly quiet., although we believe the authorities have
taken precautions against any possible disturbance ; a
contingency which we trust is not likely to occur.
At Stockport, a meeting of factory operatives was held
last night, and a resolution passed in favour of a total
cessation of work, to take place immediately. We have
heard that two large mills in Stockport have stopped
working to-day.
At Warrington, a public meeting has been held to take
into consideration the distress at present existing there,
caused by the stoppage of the factories, and to devise
means for the relief of the unemployed operatives. At
the close of the meeting it was announced that subscrip-
tions to the amount of £5OO had been received.
Last week was the most gloomy week for ten or twenty
miles round Manchester that has been witnessed for a
great number of years. The inhabitants in every place
are much alarmed for fear of a general outbreak, but up
to this time, operatives bear things very patiently. Trade
had never a worse appearance.

* The following was our contemporary's statement :
Operatives in the Mills in Manchester.
Full time. Short time. Out.
24,317
23,200
18,516

Oct. 5

„ 12 ..

CAUSE OF THE PANIC.

(From the Morning Herald.)

The " panic," as the Chronicle truly says, has been
" made by Act of Parliament ;"—and the cause and oper-
ation of it are as clear as daylight. The London Gazette
of Friday last informs us that the " notes issued" by the
Bank of England, were,
On the 16th of October, 1847 £21,989,600
And, by referring to the like publication of
last year, we find that the " notes issued,"
on the 17th of October, 1846, were 28,741,645
The reduction, therefore, in this one item
alone, is no less than 6,752,045
But this is only the first item. The circulation of the
provincial banks, which, last year, was probably ten or
eleven millions, is now, we apprehend, scarcely eight
millions ; and every failure that is reported produces a
further reduction. So that the actual amount of all the
paper afloat is, most likely, quite ten millions below the
average of the last three years.
This, however, is not all. The Bank may tell us that
it has issued £21,989,600 in notes ; but it cannot tell us
how large or how small a proportion of these are in circu-
lation. No one who observes what is going on, can doubt
that the various bankers, both in London and in the pro-
vinces, are keeping by them, for their own safety, at least
twice the stock of Bank-of-England-paper which was
held by them last year ! Here, then, is a further re-
duction of several millions, from the active circulation of
the country. And, lastly, must be mentioned, the com-
mercial bills of exchange, which, in ordinary times, are
as good as money,—passing freely from hand to hand ;
but which, by the present exigency, are rendered wholly
useless for currency. In 1846 a man would almost as
willingly receive a good bill of exchange as a bank-note,
in settlement of an account. In 1847, for money objects,
the bill of exchange is useless to him. How many mil-
lions of useful currency have thus been practically
extinguished, it is not easy to say.