The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-04-11 00:00:00

REDUCTION OF WAGES.

MICNUFACTURERS and spinners finding that their stocks
are accumulating, notwithstanding the low prices that are
current, begin to think more seriously of the adoption of
short time, or a reduction of wages, and notices to this
effect have made their appearance in several quarters.
At Stockport, on Wednesday, an adjourned meeting of
the master manufacturers' association resolved, in order,
if possible, to avoid working short time, to reduce the
wages. the ten per cent. conceded at the time of the strike
last spring, leaving them at the level of last May, and the
following notice to this effect is put up in the factories :
" To our tcorkpeople : At the termination of one week
from this date, the wages paid at these works will be re-
duced to the same as those paid iu May last. April sth,
1254." It remains to be seen (says the Manchester
Guardian) whether the operatives of Stockport, wisely
reading the lesson of the last few months, have learned
voluntarily to yield to the force of circumstances, which no
combinations can succeed in permanently resisting; or
whether they will make the vain attempt, and bring upon
themselves the disastrous consequences which their
brethren at Preston are suffering. The endeavour to force
up wages has everywhere signally failed; and the success
previously achieved at Stockport, before employers began
to suffer loss, can no longer be maintained, now that oar
staple trade has become worse than unremunerative in
nearly all its departments. That, under these circum-
stances, a forced advance can be obtained at Preston, or
upheld at Stockport, can be hoped for by those alone who
have not intelligence enough to understand the manifest
relation of cause and effect.

At Hyde, several mills commence short time this week.
At Blackburn, two of the mills commence running only
three days this week, whilst in another mill notice of a
reduction of ten per cent. in weavers', and five per cent. in
spinners' prices, has been given.

MODEL OF ANCIENT LIVERPOOL.—SOMe months since
we had pleasure in directing attention to a well-executed
and interesting model of Liverpool as it existed about' two
hundred years ago. Since then, its ingenious fabricator,
Mr: Augustus Harding, has reconstructed it on a scale
identical with the splendid model of the town as it now
exists, which was displayed at the Great Exhibition, in
1851, and is now deposited in the Derby Museum. To
that model, the one now under notice forms a highly in-
teresting supplement, showing, as it does with great accu-
racy, the early condition of the land and water on which
the most denselypopulated portions of Liverpool, as it at pre-
sent exists. The various boundaries and divisions ofproperty,
the distinctive landmarks, and the objects of interest, from
which many of the leading localities derive their uow
somewhat ambiguous names, are clearly and accurately
laid down. The model is exhibited at No. 9, Slater-street,
and is well worthy of an attentive. inspection.
ROBBERY. BY A. LIVERPOOL POSTOPPICE CLERK.—For
some time past suspicion has existed that letters, containing
money and small articles of value, have been abstracted in
their transit through the Liverpool Postoffice, and Mr.
sales, inspector of letter-carriers, was instructed to keep
an attentive eye upon what was passing. In compliance
with the suggestion, Mr. Bales, in course of his watchful-
neis, on Sunday evening observed Frederick Pentley, a
clerk in the establishment, put a letter in his pocket. On
perceiving this, he invited Pentley into an adjoining
apartment, where he mentioned what he had observed.
Pentley denied having any letter in his possession; he was
accordingly searched, and in his pockets several money
letters were found, which did not belong to him. Sullivan,
the detective officer, was immediately sent for, and Pentley
was given into custody on the charge of abstracting the
letters found in his possession. Search was made in the
prisoner's lodgings, in which a number of undelivered
letters were found, and also a gold breast-pin, with a coral
branch head, a shawl-pin, a red silk and bead purse, a
Porte-movie, an American half cent, several pawn-tickets
for shirt-breast studs, and some small articles of jewellery.
Pentley was brought up before the police magistrates yes-
terday, where the above facts were stated, and on the ap-
plication of Mr. Bales, the prisoner was remanded for seven
days.
ASSArLT ON A POL/CEMAN IN A BEER-HOUSE.--Mary
Ann Grady, a beer-house• keeper in the Park ; Alice
M'Evoy, her mother.; -Rose-Ann Toiler, and John Thomas,
were charged by Police-constable Green, No. 58, with hav-
ing seriously assaulted }dm on the morning of Sunday, at
about twenty minutes past midnight. Green stated that,
when passing Grady's house at the time mentioned, his
attention was attracted by a noise in the house, and it
being past the legal hour for selling liquor, he went in.
He found ten men and three women in the parlour, with
a jug of ale and drinking glasses before them. On seeing
him, Grady suddenly took up the jug, and proceeded with
it to the kitchen, where she offered to throw the ale into
the sink. He told her it was useless to do that, as he had
seen the drink, and must lodge an information against
the house.. On his saying this, she threw out the. ale,
placed the jag in a tub among water, and struck witness
violently in the face. She was immediatelyjoined is this
.assault by M'Evoy, who seized witness by the hair, and
held him while her daughter struck at him. M'Evoy then
seized witness by the arm with her teeth, biting completely
through the coat, and inflicting a severe wound on his arm.
The prisoner Thomas then joined the assailants of witness,
and struck him several blows with a poker, Grady calling
on them to murder him. Toller, it appeared, was little
more than a witness of the fray. Green resisted as well
as he could, and called for assistance, when Constable 705.
came to his aid, by which time he had succeeded in wrest-
ing the poker from Thomas, and was defending himself
with it. Additional assistance was procured, and the pri-
soners were taken into custody. This testimony was cor-
roborated by the other constable. The prisoners were
defended by an attorney, who alleged that the officers
were the assailants, and said that M'Evoy had been severely
assaulted by them. He called several witnesses in supped
of that allegation, none of whom, however, saw the com-
mencement of the riot, and they contradicted each other
in several particulars. The case occupied a considerable
time, and ended in the magistrates discharging Toiler,
and ordering each of the others to pay a film pf 10s. and
costs, or to he iicapriSened for seven days,