The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-19 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1853.

Eibrrpoot tanbarbt

FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

MONDAY MORNING.
THREE blows in a week, one would think rather damaging
to a Government even more stable than that of the hybrid
Administration of Lord ABERDEEN : yet it has bad its
three blows, and feels shaky—or, in the language of the
all but defunct prize-ring, "groggy,"—an expressive
phrase, intimating that the party so affected is on his last
legs. The last blow—as is usually the case in less refined,
but sometimes better conducted arenas than the floor of
the House of Commons—was the " slasher " of the
three ; and though it came last in order, I shall notice it
first—a good orthodox reading. During the course of
Thursday evening, it was well known that Mr. MILNER
GIBSON was to stand by his resolutions for a repeal of the
newspaper stamp duty, repeal of the advertisement duty,
and repeal of the paper duty—that is, that the hon. mem-
ber would go to a division on the resolution most likely
to be carried. He was slightly pooh-pooped by that
good-for-nothing class of representatives who would turn
the present men out, and yet are afraid to offend them.
" Stay till Monday, till you hear the Budget propounded."
" No, I won't," said GIBSON ; " the result to-night will
be like a straw thrown up for learned pigs to ascertain
which way the wind blows : besides," quoth Mr.
GIBSON, " I have found out that I can have a—swing-
ing—majority on the repeal of the advertisement
duty." Heads were counted on this point, so that he was
sure of a majority, but not so large as the division told.
I will not afflict your intelligent readers by noticing the
debate in detail ; certainly not a new argument; scarcely a
new sentence was used all through the discussion. Gentle
dulness, which ever likes a joke, supervened, and I took
my nap, undisturbed by flashes of senatorial fire, taking
care to keep the sensorium as much alive as to form a
notion of what they were about. By the way, this is a
capital plan for dull debates, dull plays, and common-
place operas ;—be awake, though not wide awake. So
was your correspondent on the present occasion. Thus
quiescent, semi-somnolent he remained, until DIZZY got
up. Oh, monstrous ! DISRAELI going heart and hand
with JOHN BRIGHT ! The shirt of Nemesis on DIZZY
were as nothing to this,—his adoption of Manchester
cotton ! There he stood, not striking the red box, 'tis
true, with his screw-curls, dangling like dead snakelets by
his unpropitiating profile, absolutely supporting a reduc-
tion of duty on a subject, of all others, he ought himself
to have proposed a few weeks ago, when he was CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. The most obtuse man in
the house saw what it meant.

"0 Patria Dolce !"

as the poeta says or sings, had no more to do with the
matter than I have to do with making, or scrubbing,
treasonable ram-rods for that clever varlet Kossurn.
MILNER GIBSON has done good by the advertisement
duty. Let SUKEY, the cook, advertise for a place and
get it, without being taxed for leave to tell all the world
she has lost one. This was carried, and I think will
stand. The advertisement duty will be done away entirely
or reduced to a mere trifle. Not so the other resolutions.
Justly too. Take off the stamp duty ? Why, there are
a hundred characterless scoundrels within a mile of
Temple-bar—(to say nothing of the provinces)—at this
moment, who could easily beg, borrow, or steal a hand-
ful or two of type, and obtain as easily, by either of these
means, a few hundred weight of whitey-brown paper, and
set to work and vomit poison. My dear, though sharp
friend, TIMMS, solicitor to the stamps and taxes, gives
no tick. Stamps is paid for, hence the respectability of
the English press is in a great part sustained.
Now for the little fights. ISAAC BUTT, the Irish Q.C.
and Conservative, beat them on Kilmainham Hospital,
the Irish Chelsea Hospital, for the maintenance of the
Irish soldier in age or infirmity. Its preservation was
carried, and you will see in the list of ayes and noes,
indiscriminately, Whigs, Tories, Radicals, Conservatives,
opposition Conservatives, and so on. Col. SIBTHORP would
have been among the number, but the poor fellow is laid
up, much to the dulness of the House of Commons. The
Government, therefore, as far as regards the keeping up
or pulling down Kilmainham, care but little. Then came
defeat number two on Wednesday, for the exclusion of
the Master of the Rolls (Sir JOHN RoMILLY), and all
future Masters from the House of Commons. As Wed-
nesday is a play-day, the Ministers care nothing about this
defeat, because, on the third reading of the bill, they are
determined to take care to be better prepared, and throw
out the measure. lam no great friend of seeing lawyers
anywhere, but their presence is now more necessary in the
lower house than ever. Statutes are heaped in helpless con-
fusion on statutes ; country gentlemen, dissenters, who
scarcely ever read an act of parliament all their lives, manu-
facturers, manufacturing acts. We have, therefore, need of
a lawyer or two for the purpose of keeping us right. The
debate on the question was not very enlivening ; PALMER-
STON and RUSSELL were the only two members of the
government who spoke, and they echoed each other ;
they considered it would be unadvisable to shut out men
who, above all others, were most qualified to share in the
deliberations of the house. Granted : but lawyers are
tremendous bores in Parliament. SUGDEN, KELLY,
PEMBERTON, STUART, WATSON, and a dozen such, to
say nothing of BROUGHAM, LYNDHURST, and CAMP-
BELL when in the House of Commons, have all held
forth to yawns I Referring to Sir F. KELLY, puts me
in mind of the remarks he made on the Judges' Exclusion
Bill—remarks silly for such a lawyer. I quote from
memory, but the words are quite near enough. Sir
FITZROY KELLY was wincing, for he looked and spoke as
if he were : he observed in effect, that it was undignified
for a Master of the Rolls to be obliged to canvas for a
seat in Parliament—that he had often to go from door to
door like a beggar ; candidates generally had to do this,
and meet answers not very civil sometimes, and after-
wards to be laughed at on the hustings by the worst
"rabble" in the kingdom. One would have thought, after
what has so recently taken place touching this same word
" rabble," that the hon. and learned gentleman would
have kept it to himself. Sir FITZROY, you'll catch it for
this.

This identical Monday, 18th of April, 1853, one of
London's greatest abominations—first in the throng—is
gone. St. Clement's churchyard, placed in the centre of
the greatest thoroughfare in the world, no longer yawns
for dead human bodies. J thank thee, PALMERSTON, for
this. " Order in Council t" Glorious Parliament, Tom
CARLYLE might exclaim, only THOMAS—great coiner of
German silver—lives in the country, and fears no fright-
ful graveyard effluvium. The closing of the metropolitan
graveyards was likely never to be accomplished by agita-
tation and debate in the Houses of Parliament; but we have
a nice, discreet, prompt, and most responsible little par-
liament on emergency, formed by the Lords of the Privy
Council ; they do anything, certainly, on their own re-
sponsibiity, as 1 have intimated ; and, if the doing don't
please the Parliament assembled, why, then, my Lords of
the P. C. must answer. But, in such a horrid question
as the one I refer to, there is no danger ; no one but the
most mercenary could desire to see perpetuated the ob-
scene mysteries of intramural interment 1 Now, the re-
form thus begun, it is curious, nay, unaccountable, to
witness the number of burials which take place daily in
the above-hated churchyard (St. Clement's) ; ever since
decisive steps for its abolition were adopted, the burials
have been prodigiously great. Did people insanely die
out of spite, to be buried while it was possible, in the old
and desecrated haunt of the midnight ghonle and cab-
man ? Impossible. They died, however, and were buried
with their fathers :—in the midst of life we are in death,
—though I do not much relish the apparent pun—it has
been exemplified in the aforesaid parish, ever since Lord
PALMERSTON said the churchyard should be closed this
day. The fact is, the rate of mortality is always higher
in London—especially in the rotten parts of it—at this
period, than at any other; hence the wailings of the dead
bell from " morn to dewy eve," and not from any face-
tious notion on the part of the chief characters to die
before the 18th, and so choose the SECRETARY of STATE.
The undertakers and horse masters, those who do " black
jobs," are going to trip it on the " light fantastic" some
of these days ; for they say that a funeral out of town
pays best, and is a very pleasant thing " after all."
Coetaneous—(l don't remember another word at the
moment)—coetaneous with the frequency of funerals in the
metropolitan churchyards, anticipatory of their being
closed, another phase, so to speak, of human infirmity
has developed itself. A decent, well-inclined member of
Parliament has introduced a bill, which will be carried,
thanks to Queen, Lords and Commons, for the better
punishment of those cowardly, mean-spirited, always
ill-
looking, low, miscreantic bullies, with the weak, coarse,
vulgar, lazy, never-clever, filthy, disreputable, sneaking,
beastly—oh, no, I do the hog and the dog wrong, and
crave their pardon, were it possible for them to grant
one—scoundrelly, rascally, dirty scamps, confound them,
who ill-use women. It is noteable that, in all my wander-
ings through this world of care, I never had such an
opportunity afforded me as recently of ascertaining the
true balance for or against human nature as regards the
commission of the despicable offence mentioned. I e.-1
certain it never, in the history of England, was so prev,..-
lent as at present. The bill for the better punishment of
these varlets will soon be part and parcel of the law of
the land ; the blackguards know it, and oh, Jupiter
Scapin ! how they are walloping their better halves !
They will be afraid to do it when the bill shall have
passed. The foregoing embodies the opinions, expressed
in my own way, of all the police magistrates of any nous
in the metropolitan beats.
Were I to barter political principles, it would certainly
be for a place in the Woods and Forests, now presided
over by Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH. Talk of Dryads
and Hamadryads, Fauns, and even of that old goat PAN,
with his pipes, their ever-during holiday-making " under
the greenwood tree" was nothing as compared with the
otium of our Woods and Forests. Sir WILLIAM of the
Ballot talks as glibly and corn mending about improvements,
landscape gardening, lopping and pruning, cutting timber,
selling timber, timber stolen, and so forth, to no end, as
if he had been to the " manner born." Does it not look
like humbug ? Here is a Radical member of Parliament
with no enviable peculiarity on the face of the earth but
holdforth, for Sir WILLIAM, even on radical questions, is
a parrot, speaking what he has got by rote, and sending
his speeches miles in length to the " Fourth Estate," and
thereby sustaining a character for eloquence. Wood-
gods and little fishes ! Eloquence. Gab. They say Sir
BALLOT MOLESWORTH (I like the mistakes made
by my French friends, a description of whom I
may give some day soon) got a snubbing from ABER.
DERN recently for his indiscreet remarks in favour

of tLe sneaking ballot-voting system. The head
of the Woods and Forests having obtained a good
appetite in driving over some of " the Royal property,"—
as old SIMPSON, of Vauxhall Gardens, afar cleverer hum-
bug in his way, used to speak,—met his constituents'in
Southwark, the other evening at dinner ; the champagne
and soda water corks flew about and over the tables, like
drunken imps, hitting right and left ; Sir WILLIAM knew
his men,—he would have seen the Southwarkians, Bo-
roughonians as they are called, " blowed" first before he
would have said a word about the ballot ; but he knew he
must, and so committed the act to please them, and got
snubbed for his pains, and he deserved it. Sir Wiudam's
health appears to improve since he has had the supervision
of the Woods and Forests; he has now a nice peachy bloom
on both cheeks, and some friend has taken the liberty of
reminding him of his forgotten Ovid, who,—never mind
the Latin,—says something about letting a skilful barber
cut his hair. The head of the Woods and Forests
has certainly got rid of a prodigious quantity of hair—
epicene in character—neither red, nor sandy, nor white,
hut an apparent mixture of all three ; of course Sir
WILLIAM can't help that,--then "cut it short."
By the advice of a friend he has done this, and is
really decent in his outward man, which heretofore
he was not. He still uses the stupid—ugly as stupid—habit
of wearing one spectacle eye-piece, held by the contractile
force of the muscles adjacent to the os frontis, a practice
hazardous, forasmuch as one eye is sacrificed ; the practice
makes even a good-looking person hideous. It has been
said over and over again, for more years than I care to
number, that the best conducted department of govern-
ment is the Woods and Forests ; it is quite evident that
anybody, however parvenzeish, can cut a figure in
Whitehall-place. I thought I would have fairly swooned
in cacchination—loud laughter—according to " Satan's
Invisible World Discovered," to see dimly the Radical
baronet and Prince ALBERT in the crypt of Paul's Cathe-
dral, arranging how, and where, the Great Captain's
coffin should be disposed. If the departed spirits of good
men made perfect are cognisant of what we are about,
I rather think WELLINGTON'S would not have expected
MOLESWORTH there on such an errand.

There is a nasty appendage to London, called Redriff ;
in better language—Rotherhithe, which would have rotted
away long ago, but that it is the abode of tanners in-
numerable ; and " your tanner lasts," &c., vide the
Gravedigger passim in " Hamlet." This same Rother-
hithe has many houses in it ; some of them old and tura-
ble-down, full of crannies, standing by themselves ;
others, smaller, and thickly placed together. Altogether,
Rotherhithe has a disreputable look. Nobody, I suppose,
would live in it from choice. It has been the scene of
murders foul; the MANNINGS' murder of the Irish tide.
waiter is fresh in all our memories. In this Rotherhithe
lives a curious crotchetty man, full of the inventive
faculty, as it is called, which rarely leads to anything but
insanities or Whitecross-street. The owner of this house
in Rotherhithe had it, because he might not have got one
for the same purpose in a more civilised locality. In this
building the tenant and his sons, two, I think, manufac-
tured war-fireworks, rockets for ships; sent many
of them abroad ;—now and then pill ! paff! might
be heard, but no person seemed to care ;—it was
only a cracker, or a Catherine wheel. The old
man and his sons used to go about town, talk of their ex-
plosive inventions—listeners took their beer, wondered,
and laughed. Nobody, as I have said, cared a grain of
powder for the whole lot. Underhand, it would appear,
some good-natured fellow "gave the office," in police par-
lance; the magistrates take the hint; Louis KOSSUTH'S
name is cunningly woven in. Presto ! the Times " takes
up the wondrous tale"—the metropolis is in a ferment--,
KOSSUTH had got, in the words of the old Jacobite song,
" Guns and pistols an' a'."

I have my own opinion of KOSSUTH ; he is one of the
most remarkable men extant; has been ill-used—so he
thinks his country. This is perhaps, after all, mere
matter of opinion : what he would do, if he had it all his
own way, I rather suspect would not be rendering good
for evil. N'importe, that has nothing to do with the
question, and, happily for the sustained peace of Europe,
never will. " The house in the occupation of KOSSUTH"
is seven miles and more apart from the haunted one at
Rotherhithe. There was a deal of talk in every club-
house, tavern, public-house, and pot-house in the metro-
polis all Friday. At length the House of Commons met,
Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY mentioned to a friend that he
was to put a question to Lord PALMERSTON on the sub-
ject. " The Pet of the Petticoats," TOMMY DUNCOMBE,
saw young HALE, one of the Rotherhithe powder men,
and every one about the House of Commons foresaw there
was to be a spree. Those who knew the HALES, knew
the discovery was all barn :so much the better. I won't
refer to the discussion. Cupid, Lord PALMERSTON I
mean, is now old, led more easily astray than I have
known him when, par exemple, ho was first named after
the little urchin of love. He made no very satisfactory
answers to the qu3stions put to him in the Commons, nor
to the remarks of Mr. DUNCOMBE. lam no admirer of
radicals or of radicalism, but I was glad to see the hon.
member for Finsbury come off so well ; after a long and
threatening illness he appears to be recovered. He had
been despaired of by his friends; his complaint, of a con-
sumptive type, bade defiance to every thing : his regimen
was strictly attended to ; the atmosphere of his pretty
apartments at the west end was strictly regulated ;—there
he used to sit for weeks, scarcely able to speak or hold a
pen, both great punishments to TOMMY • his companion
chiefly ' was a tiny love-bird, like one of the Humming
tribe, which flew about his room, picking its food from his
hand. The hon. member, among other things, was
desired to have recourse to cod-liver oil. Fangh 1
This he took, got more lung-strength, followed it up,
and now appears almost as sound as ever. I apologise
for this digression. It is stated that Kosstma had an
offer made to him of certain warlike materials from the
house at Rotherhithe ; I give you the rumour. KOSSUTH,
a lawyer, knows very well the danger of such bargaining
in this country ; besides, he has his own factory and
foundry in New York for the production of such muni-
tions. To sum up, the police appear to have found some-
thing more than a mare's nest, if I am permitted to judge
from their frequent communications with the heads of
the Government. Meantime, at a meeting held in
Kossimes house on Saturday afternoon, it was resolved
that a prosecution of The Times should be instituted. Mr.
HALE, also, they say, is to commence against the
Government.

The Royal Italian Opera has gathered great crowds
during the past week. It is always a sure sign of success
when you find, after the opening of the doors, little
parties, carefully attired in opera costume, evidently from
the country, assembled in front of the pay pigeon-hole,
commuting their pit tickets for places in the boxes—the
former being filled to overflow, the visitors are fain to get
a seat anywhere. Such has been the case all the week.
Guglielmo Tell—RosseNl's last and greatest, though
not his best work—attracts a vast number of people who
are not strictly musical, but wish something good, having
eyes as well as ears to please. Certainly the cast is
grand ; but Italians can't sing French music. Rossini
composed his Tell in obedience to the Parisian people,
among whom he was then living, laughing and growing
fat. They twitted the maestro that he was old and lazy—
blase, and could not compose. The author of It Barbiere
and Semiramide soon showed the Parisians in his William
Tell what he could do. But the music is sharp, abrupt,
angular, if the latter phrase be a correct one ; liquid, per-
fectly epic—striking, but without one attribute of the
Italian school. It draws, however, and so it need. The
expense in its representation is no joke. Next in order is
Drury-lane—" Old Drury," as the infatuated half dozen
human beings who still exist denominate the theatre—
they who talk of the drama in its " palmy days;" i. e.
fifty years ago, closed on Saturday evening, by the lessee,
in waistcoat of unsmirched whiteness, with a heart
apparently under it, for he struck there, or there-
abouts, when doing the valedictory, behind the foot-
lights, and referring to the useful ingredients on such
occasions, as patronage—gratitude—British public, and
so on. Mr. SMITH, the lessee, is a man of much energy,
thinks with the talking lark in the fable, that if you want
your business done well—do it yourself. He has bought
some experience—not too dearly, it is to be hoped—and
he promises to open again, with better plays and better
players—if he can catch them. I believe he has paid
everybody, if there be any truth on the inscript snuff-box
given to him the other evening. The remaining threatres
are doing" pretly well;" but the boys who are carrying all
before them are your ALBERT SMITHS, JOHN PARRYS,
LEE CARTERS, Or CARTER LEES, and WOODINS. No
company to pay, they sack all. Two or three new plays
are spoken of ; one by the learned author of " lon,"' Mr.
Justice TALFOURD, on Spanish history, has been seen by a
few friends. A little piece of burlesque nonsense, by one
of Mr. Justice TALFOURD'S lads, railed " Macbeth" (not
SHAKSPERE'S), is also in rehearsal. These burlesques
on the bard of Avon, when not outrageously done, are
sure to be successful. It is, however, a poor means to an
end. "Othello, according to Act of Parliament,"
brought out at the Strand Theatre by poor HAmmoNn,
now dead and gone, was a hit, though it made the " ju-
dicious grieve."

THE POOR CLERGY AND THE CLOTHING
SOCIETY.

A correspondent of The Times, " 5.G.0.," says
" I have before me the report for 1852 of the Poor Pious
Clergymen Clothing Society ;" in it there is a copy of a
letter of thanks for relief to the manager of that institu-
tion under every letter of the alphabet; and these are
headed Extracts from Correspondence.' I find in these
letters from clergymen,--i.e., from men who might be
bishops—gratitude expressed for coats, which fitted them-
selves as though they had been made to measure;'
second-hand frocks, equally fortunate in fit, for their
daughters ;" brown linen, which makes up into wag-
goner's bibs for our boys;' Old bed curtains, which,
re-made, made nice winter curtains for my room.'
' When we are sitting round our hearth,' writes letter
G,' we talk over our dress, and one points to one thing
and another to another, all and each supplied by your
parcel.' Letter L' says, Accept our warmest thanks
for all you have sent, but especially for the linen, which
Mrs. L— much required ; the boots and coats are
matters of delight to my boys.' O' says, The black
cloth comes very seasonably ; the coat, trousers, and
waistcoat, ready-made, fit very nicely.' Q' says, 'My
dear daughters are delighted ; they know that they could
not be clothed, year after year, as they are without your
kind help.' U' says, The cloth would be amply
sufficient to include a vest, did I not usually wear a frock-
coat, which will require the whole quantity now sent ;
but this is of no moment, as I scarcely need a new vest.'
y says, ' The articles are so good and so suitable that
we stand astonished : you will be pleased to hear that in
most instances the wearing apparel is really a good fit,
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association which you represent
gratitude and thanks.'

THE ROMISH CONTROVERSY. -- The Rev. W. M.
Falloon, M.A., of St. Bride's Church, Liverpool, preached
the sermon in the course in St. Peter's Church, Preston,
on Wednesday, the subject being " The One Way." On
Thursday the Rev. Hugh Stowell, of Manchester,
preached a powerful discourse in the same place, on the
subject of " Romish Fallacies."' The church was crowded,
and a collection was made in aid of the Sunday schools.
On Sunday, after two sermons preached in St. Paul's
Church, by the Rev. W. H. Wright, of Liverpool, £2l
was collected to defray the current expenses of the church
and choir.

COMMERCIAL AND MONETARY NE IF S.

MONDAY NIGHT.
TIIE proposal of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER for the compulsory conversion of the odd
Three per cent Stock, amounting to about ten millions,
and the voluntary conversion of the large Three per
cent. Stock of about five hundred millions, so as to
make a reduction of interest, does not appear to
have had an unfavourable effect upon the Funds,
inasmuch as they have maintained a higher value
ever since the proposal was made, and other de-
scriptions of securities have shared in the advance.
Although the Finance Minister relies upon a vo-
luntary acceptance of a lower rate of interest for
the bulk of his operations, the equivalent offered
is a lengthened guarantee for the reduced rate,
whereas those who hold by the present rate may
afterwards find themselves compelled to accept the
lower sum without the corresponding advantage.
It remains to be seen whether this ingenious
scheme will have the desired effect, as much diffe-
rence of opinion exists on the subject. By some it
is thought that the issue of Exchequer Bonds,
transferable without endorsement, will be a desirable
investment in commercial circles, from the saving of
trouble and the expense of brokerage ; but in
dealing with so large a sum as the Consols, of
which the amount to he converted into Exchequer
Bonds is limited to thirty millions, it might perhaps
have been better to have proposed a reduction of a
quarter per cent. on the whole, the more particu-
larly as the New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents
have ruled so considerably above par. At the
same time it must be acknowledged that the
operation might have been attended with some
hazard, and that, on that account, the more
prudent course is the experiment on a small
portion, with the proposed opening for a volun-
tary surrender. The annual saving to the coun-
try will be £25,000 for every ten millions reduced
at the rate of a quarter per cent., so that,
should the whole fire hundred millions be operated
upon, the annual saving will be £1,250,000,—an
amount of some little consequence to meet the pre-
sent demands for reduction of taxation. The recent
arrivals of gold from A ustralia have had their effect
upon the stock of bullion in the Bank of England,
as the last weekly returns show an increase of
£218,885. The smallness of the increase, however,
when compared with the largeness of the receipts,
is an evidence that the export of the precious metals
is still very considerable, and that the great exten-
sion of our commercial exports is more than coun-
terbalanced by the increase of imports. This is
further confirmed by a comparison between the
official value of the imports into, and the real or
declared value of the exports from, the United
Kingdom during the twenty-two years ending with
1852, a return of which has just been published.
In 1831, the imports amounted to £49,727,828,
and the exports to £37,164,372, being an apparent
balance of trade against England of only £12,563,456;
whereas, in 1852, the imports were £109,345,409,
and the exports only £78,049,367, being a balance
against us of £31,296,042. Some allowance ought,
however, to be made for the imports being taken at
the official rates of valuation, which may be conside-
rably above the real amount, whereas the exports are
calculated at the declared or merchants' valuation.

The Manchester men who have been holding off
from purchasing more Cotton than required for imme •
diate'consumption, in the hope of a decline,have taken
alarm at the firmness maintained in the Liverpool
market, and the Manchester Guardian of Saturday
last has come to the rescue with a rather dolorous
catalogue of possibilities in favour of the desired
depression. The planters and factors have kept
back supplies in order to influence the market; the
high rate of insurance charged on Cotton ware-
housed in New Orleans has also tended to keep
back supplies ; the roads in the cotton-growing dis-
tricts have been rendered impassable by heavy
rains. These are circumstances why the diminu-
tion of the receipts ought not to be admitted' as
conclusive evidence of any deficiency of cotton in
the interior, and therefore the oracle of the manu-
facturers recommends them to limit their purchases
until the result of another month's advices is
known. The ingenious theory-of our contemporary
may readily be admitted, nor can it be denied that
all accounts concur in representing the last crop of
American Cotton as larger than that of any preced-
ing year. So far there is little difference of opinion
between the holders who speculate for a rise and'
the spinners and manufacturers who would wil-
lingly replace their stocks at lower prices than
those which have prevailed for some time in this
market. If we look, however, at other circum-
stances, which must have considerable infibence
on future prices, we shall find little reason for
believing that the presumed excess of supply, not-
withstanding the apparent largeness of present
stocks, will be sufficient to create any depression,
but rather the contrary. We must not forget that
England has no longer the monopoly of the cotton
manufacture, but the competition from the continent
of Europe is rapidly extending through the im-
provements of machinery and the increase of skilled
workmen. America herself is not behindhand in
the race; and while the rise-of Manchester may be
quoted as one of the most striking instances of the
rapid growth of wealth through the manufacture,
there are not wanting imitators who may better by
their instructions. The enormous emigration which
has been going on during the last year or two must
also have added considerably to the markets for our
exports, of which cotton manufactures form the
principal item ; so that, making the most ample
allowance for the alleged excess of the last cotton
crop, the increased demand will be found to have
more than kept pace with it. It is said,that a con-
vention of Southern planters is to he held' in June
next, at Memphis, in Tennessee, in order to devise
means for establishing a continental depot of cotton
in opposition to Liverpool, and thus to do away
with Liverpool agencies, middlemen, &c., by a
direct exportation. One great obstacle to the
achievement of such a plan will be the want of suffi-
cient capital, of which there is by no means a
plethora in the Southern States ; but even should, it
be in any way successful, it cannot serve the object
of Manchester, which appears simply to induce
Liverpool holders to take the alarm so gently in-
sinuated, and sacrifice the stocks, in, their hands.
The accounts from most of the seats of manu-
facturing industry represent continued activity,
the chief difficulty being to realize upon manufac-
tured goods an advance corresponding to that upon
the raw material. This is particularly the case
with the spinners of coarser yarns at Manchester,
and the manufacturers of the lower descriptions of
goods ; but,, as it is acknowledged that the market
is comparatively bare of stock,, there is a general
firmness which betokens % healthy tone..
The return from the Bank of England, for the
week ending the 9th of April, gives the following
results, when compared with the previous week :
Public deposits .. £ t,733,108; Decrease £3,501,007
Other deposits .. .. 14,933,897; Increase 2,243,694
Rest - 3,106,886; Decrease 529,043
On the other side of the account—
Government securities £13,671,382; Increase £206,844
Other securities 14,875,627;. Decrease 1,509,4,93
Notes unemployed .. 9,839,7-15 ; Decrease 343,115
The amount of notes in circulation is £22,976,715,
being an increase of £589,5.45 ; and the stock of
bullion in both departments is £1 9,2 2 6,3 34, show,
ing an increase of £2l 8,8 85, when compared with
the preceding return.
ISSUE DE
Notes issued £32,816,460

ISSUE DEPARTMENT.

Govrnt. Debt.. £11,015,100
Other securities 2,984,900
Gold coin& buln. 13,797,306
Silver bullion .. 19,154

£32,816,460

£32,816,460

BANKING D
Prop.'s capital £14,553,000
Rest 3,106,886
Public deposits. 4,733,108
Other deposits . 14,933,897
7-day, &c. bills. 1,469,737

:PARTMENT.
Gov. securities.Xl3,67l,3B2
Other securities 14,875,627
Notes ...... 9,839,745
Gold & sily. coin 409,874

£38,796,628 I £38,796,628
THE SHARE MARKET during the week has
fluctuated. The actual transactions have been
light; but, up to Friday, there was an improvement
in prices, and holders manifested increased confi-
dence. The statement made in the House of Com-
mons on Friday evening, by the President of the
Board of Trade, had a depressing effect on Satur-
day's market, and much difficulty was experienced
in effecting sales even at reduced rates. There were
but few transactions to-day, but renewed confidence
was manifested, and at the close holders were firm.
Chester and Birkenhead, 21-g-c ; Blackburn, 7h ;
Caledonians, 321- ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 76i
771 1- A ; London Stock, 1191 20;
1 75 41 5 I ; Midland
Stock, 74
Dover Stock, 221 i;
Greenock guaranteed 9; Dutch Rhenish,
id 1 1-16 Id ; Liverpool and London Fire and Life,
7p; Royal Insurance, 1 3-16 p.
COTTON.—The market throughout the week was
firm, the advices by the Baltic on Thursday morn-
ing confirming the accounts by the Canada of con-
tinual diminution of receipts in the American ports.
The sales were to a tolerably fair extent, at prices
in favour of the seller, particularly for the better
qualities. On Friday the sales reached 8,000 bales,
of which 2,000 were taken on speculation and for
export ; and on Saturday the sales were about 6,000
bales, including 1,500 on speoulation and for ex.

port. TO-DAY the advices by the Asia were re-
ceived, and though the accounts show a falling off
in receipts, yet it is thought to be not to the extent
that was anticipated ; and the stocks here being
heavy, the market was rather flat, though we can-
not quote any fall in prices. The sales amounted
to about 6,000 bales, of which 1,000 were on spe-
culation and for export, at previous rates.

SALES. i 1M euitTn.
„---A.-7, fe,----A---,
DESCRIPTION.' PRICES. Week I Prev]. Week This STOCK.
Y . ending ously ending ear.
Aprills,this yr. Aprillsi April 15
-- '— ---1--
d. d.
Sea Island .. 18 @32 1980 5730
Stained .... 10 12 60 590 118077 208018
Boweds .... 41 6/ 10300, 143580 i• 558910
Mobile 4l 6$ 6550, 83080 } 186 N 4'26539
New Orleans. 4} 7i 27740 306610
Pernams, &c. 6#
S } 1240 22360 ••• • 1 185411 15370
Aracati, &c 6i 8 I
Bahia, &c.
Maranham
Sawginned si 6-il 1190 9860 } .... 98531} 20050
Demerara,&c .... I 130. 10 1411 21,0
Egyptian 5/ 18 3690 38790' 1220 257381 90240
Barbadoes
Peruvian
I il
Laguayra..
Com.W.l.&c. 5} 6ir 390 } 2730 35 918 i
3680
Carthagena — .... I Ii
Smyrna
Manilla
Surat
3921 80306 110130
Madras
Bengal — .... 340 .... 280; 1110
59970 692540 41955 787001 818810

PRODUCE.—The market for Sugar has not been
so brisk as previously, and while the demand has
been limited, lower prices have had to be submitted
to. The sales during the week were only 150 hhds.
West India, 1,500 bags Bengal, 5,000 mats new
Mauritius, and 1,600 bags Madras; and of Foreign,
230 hhds. Porto Rico, 280 hhds. Surinam, and
1,500 bags Brazil, all at rather lower rates. In
Molasses no business has been done, owing to
buyers requiring lower terms. Coffee dull, the
sales being limited to 300 bags Bahia and 200 bags
damaged St. Domingo. The market for Tea is
stagnant, owing to the uncertainty about the duty,
but greens were in fair request at previous rates.
Of black Pepper 700 bags sold at 31-d. to 33d. per
lb. Of Rice the sales amounted to 3,000 bags
Bengal, 500 bags Arracan, and a small parcel of
Carolina; the latter at 20s. 9d. to 21s. per cwt.
In Rum not much doing, 200 puns. Demerara sold
at Is. 81d. per gallon proof. Of Saltpetre 800 bags
sold at 275. to 28s. for 6-'l. to 41 per cent, refraction,
and 30s. for Calcutta refined. In Guano no change
to note. From a Parliamentary return it appears
that the importation in 1851 was 243,014 tons, and
in 1852, 129,889 tons. Rough Turpentine in less
demand. Of Hides 2,000 salted River Plate sold
at 5,1 d. for heavy Ox. In Olive Oil little doing.
Linseed Oil in better demand : 30 tons sold at 295.,
and 20 tons pale Rape at 365. to 3Ss. per cwt. Of
Palm Oil 270 tons on the spot sold at £33 10s.,
and 900 tons to arrive at £34 per ton. Tallow in
active request at 465. 6d. for Petersburg Y.C.
Baltic Hemp dull. Of Jute 1,000 bales on the
spot sold at £lB to £2O for inferior to middling,
and about the same quantity to arrive at previous
rates. Clover Seed lower, but for Flax Seed higher
prices were asked. To-day the sales of Sugar, in-
cluding the business of Saturday, .comprise 75
hhds. Demerara at 345. to 355., 50 hhds. Jamaica
at 345. 6d. to 355. Gd., 400 mats yellow Mauritius
at 365., 160 hhds. Surinam at 335., from the quay,
and 20 hhds. Porto Rico at 395. 6d, to 395. 9d. per
cwt. Of Rum 70 puns, Surinam are reported at
Is. 81d. per gallon, proof. The transactions in
Tea hare been quite of a retail character. Carolina
Rice has been in good demand, and 350 tierces
have changed hands at 21s. to 23t. 6d. per cwt.
100 bags Sincapore black Pepper sold at 3fd., 50
bags Malabar at 3i-d. per lb., and 150 bales Gam-
bier at 27.5. per cwt.
WooL.—There is no feature worthy of notice in
the market this week, a quietness has prevailed
here ' • public sales will' take place to-morrow and
Thursday, when 5400 bales will be offered for com-
petition ;. prices very firm and still looking up.
Imports for the week 409 bales; viz., 209 East
India, 90 Mediterranean ports, 105 Irish, 5 Coast—
wise.

THE MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL..

(From the Morning Herald.)

We learn that the insurance corinpanies and underwriters
have taken alarm at the intended operation of this bill,
clause 3T of which permits owners to send to India for.
Lascars or Coolies to bring their vessels home from Aus-
tralia. They will not insure vessels navigated with such
crews ;but the club system of gambling may get over this
difficulty. The life of a captain or his officers are nothing
in the eyes of Messrs. Grind-em-down and Co. If the
ship is burnt the club will stump up the money for a new
vessel, and there the matter ends; though it is strange
that a professing liberal government should give further
encouragement to murder on the high seas and the burn-
ing of ships. Other nations are more careful of the lives
of their seamen ; it is only the British government that
can relax the law, and take part with the associations of
owners against the men. They would not interfere with
wages, not they, it is against their ccnvictions ; they will
only swamp the labour market, that is all. As Radicals,
they are true oppressors.
Its the House of Lords, the other day, the Duke of
Argyll, Lord Granville, and Earl Grey repudiated all idea
of reducing the seamen's wages. Those benevolent no-
blemen of course could not be suspected of such a sinister
proceeding, yet to what does their scheme amount ?
Mr. Cardwell has "such confidence in the worth and
character of the British sailor, that he could fairly and
successfully compete with the whole world, that, if he were
a shipowner, he should give them the preference over
foreigners." Well, then, if he believes in what he states,
why does he give encouragement to the employmentof an
inferior body of men ? When the owners ask him to give
them the option of employing foreigners, does he not see
through their motive? Can he not comprehend that it is
not good seamen, but cheap crews that they want ?' The
Whig peers protest that British seamen are the " best
and cheapest in the world ;" and they further declare that
there is no fear of the dearth of mariners, for our insular
position is favourable to the productoin of an over abund-
ance of sailors. Then, what are they driving at ? Can
they tell themselves ? Is it not sufficient that a British
owner may employ one-fourth foreigners ?- When
they ask for permission to sail their vessels exclu-
sively with foreigners, is not this an admission that
they do not want good, but cheap seamen ? And divest
this matter of all circumlocution, are not the Ministers
colleaguing with owners to beat down the wages of sea-
men ? It may shock the susceptible nerves- of the noble
duke and earls before-mentioned to tell them they are
mixing themselves up with the shipowners' clubs and
betraying the seamen, but it fairly amounts to that. As
for the stupidity of prating about free trade in seamen,
we should have thought no sane man could have reason-
ably entertained such a preposterous notion. Free trade
in seamen means, if anything, free tradzin nationality,
for we must wait till the arrival of the millennium before
other nations will consent to destroy the nationality. of
their shipping.. There can be no trade in seamanship ;
if we-exchange seamen, we barter away, our nationality.
How, the Emperors-of France and Russia would smile at
such an insane proposition : and if Messrs. Cardwell and,
Co. cannot gain the consent of other nations to accept,
our seamen as well as our ships, then what becomes of
our free trade in seamen ?

No; the abrogation of the existing most favourable
system would injure owner as well: as man ; their interests
are identical, if viewed in a proper light. True, the
passing of the new bill might enable owners to more
easily rob seamen of their wages abroad ; but this is no
part of the duty of the Government to minister to. It
would also create facilities for the discharge of craws in
foreign ports, for which a remedy is even now neeCed ; for
we have l-eard of one master having no less than six crews
on board one ship (the Agnes Lee) in seven months.
The following copy of a letter to the President of the
Board of Trade has been handed to us for publication ; it
speaks for itself :
" seamen's-office, Minerva-place, Hartlepool,
April 6, 1853.
"Sir,--I take leave respectfully to draw your attention to
the subject of desertion,, for which we are told the Merchant
Shipping Bill will be an infallible cure. There have been.
several cures attempted before in the shape of legislative acts ;
but, instead of remcving, they have but served to aggravate
and increase the evil. Whilst in London with the deputation
of seamen, I had opportunities of conversing with the southern-
going sailors, and it is my belief that the third reading of the
Merchant Shipping Bill with the 29th clause will be the signal
for desertion of seamen in British ships to foreign ports, when-
ever and wherever possible, to the ruin of the British ship-
owner, and I repeat that their example will be followed by the
seamen of the northeast ports, and I therefore humbly solicit
on behalf of those ports, and the port of Hartlepool more espe-
cially, your influence in parliament to reject this obnoxious
clause.
"The general feeling among the seamen is, that the moment
has arrived when if British owners can dispense with the ser-
vices of British seamen, our tars can find employment in
Australia and the United States, and thus leave the English
ships to foreigners.
"With respect to that clause in the delegates' memorial
which alludes to the seamen being unwilling to defend this
country, in case of war, should clause 29 pass the third read-
ing,-1 can assure yon, sir, that so indignant are our seamen
at what they consider the ingratitude of the legislature,
and the ungenerous spirit by them displayed towards the
seamen, that I firmly believe that too much reliance
should not be placed on their services in the event of a war.
I am instructed by our committee to state that they consider
you have been most ungenerous in your remarks on British
seamen, for owners in British foreign-going ships have been
allowed to engage one-fourth foreigners, besides lascars,
negroes, &c., without any remonstrance from British seamen;
and though the coasting trade has been closed against foreign-
ers, the foreigners admitted into the southern ships have
always assisted to throw a large number of surplus hands into
the home trade to keep down wages.
ill." Hoping that you will have the kindness to give some con-
sideration to the interests of the sailor as well as the ship-
owner before passing the third reading of the bill, and that you
will bear in mind that however wealthy this nation may be in
other respects, she would indeed be poor if deserted by her
natural defenders the seamen,
" I have the honour to remain, Sir,
" Your obedient servant,
" WILLIAM LESTER PATTESON.
" Right Hon. E. Cardwell, M.P., Board of Trade."

THE British and North American mail steam-ship
Canada, Stone, commander, took her departure hence for
Halifax and Boston, on Saturday, at 1 15 p.m., having
155 passengers and a full cargo, besides the usual mails.

AN INFALLIBLE PRECAUTION AGAINST RAILWAY
ACCIDENTS.—No fares to be paid until the end of the
journey—and then only to be paid in the event of a person
ing arrived sale

FELONY.—On Saturday, between eight o'clock and
midnight, a bedroom in the house of Mr. Rowsthorn,
Great Howard-street, was entered by the window, and
£250 in money and a gold mach and chain stolen from
the safe.

THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. —lt will be
observed from our advertising columns, that the anniver-
sary meetings of this society will be held on Monday
next, when, in addition to the Lord Bishop of Chester
and the Rev. Dr. M'Neile, addresses will be delivered by
the Rev. Francis Close, of Cheltenham, the Rev. J. C.
Ryle, of Helmingharn, Suffolk, the Rev. George T. Fox,
of Durham, and the Rev. Frederick F. Gough, mission-
ary from China.
LECTURES AT THE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION.—On
Tuesday evening, Mr. Geo. Scharf, jun., well-known by
his illustrations of Macaulay's Lays of Ronze, Milman's
Horace, &c., deliver ed a lecture upon the ancient cities of
Herculaneum and Pompeii. On Friday evening, Mr.
Scharf resumed his subject. On Saturday morning he
repeated some portions of his lectures, which bore more
especially upon classic studies, to the scholars of the Col-
legiate Institution.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO THE NIMROD STEAMER.—On
Sunday morning, as the steamer Nimrod was coming into
this port, on her passage from Cork, she came in contact
with what was supposed to be the remains of a wreck,
between Bootle and Formby. The concussion was a
violent one; the consequence being that the steamer
sprung a leak, and immediately began to make much
water. On ascertaining the dangerous condition of the
vessel, the captain, with great prudence, ran her ashore
with as little delay as possible, and the passengers were
taken off. In the evening, she was taken into one of the
north graving docks, when it was found that she had sus-
tained considerable injury.
" NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS" are frequently not
the least amusing portion of some London publications.
In replying to a gentleman who put the rather extraor-
dinary query. whether there were more words in the Bible,
or acres in Yorkshire, the editor of the Sunday Times, a
fortnight ago, appealed to his statistical readers for their
aid. Oneof the number has, accordirrgly, since announced
that there are 2,728,100 words in the Oid Testament, and
838,380 words in the New Testament, making a total of
3,566,440, words.—Now, as the number of acres in York-
shire is 3,815,040, there are consequently, 248,570 more
acres than words.

BLACKBURN ELECTION.—On Friday, a petition was
presented to the House of Commons, praying that the
return of Mr. Feilden, for the borough of Blackburn, be
declared null and void, on the grounds that, by himself,
his agents, friends, and managers, he was guilty of
bribery and corruption, by gifts, presents, money, rewards,
and employments ; by threats, intimidations, promises,
and undue influences. It also asserts that " untfue and
improper use was made by the friends, supporters-, and
partizans of the said Montague Joseph Feilden, of the
military force, to the prejudice of the said William Henry
Hornby, his friends, and supporters." It concludes by
praying " that the house will be pleased to take the
premises into consideration, and will declare that the said
Montague Joseph Fielden was not duly elected, and
ought not to have been returned at the said last election
for the said borough, and that his said election and return
are wholly null and void, and that the house will afford
to the petitioners such furTher and other relief as to the
house shall seem meet."

SALE of A WIFE.—Bv an application for a summons
made at the Lambeth Police-court, on Wednesday, it
became known that a blacksmith, named Turner, lately
purchased a wife in the person of a Mrs. Huntley for " a
pot of beer and a threepenny pie r,
Ma. OLIVER LANG, master-shipwright at Woolwich
Dockyard, who was quite well and cheerful, and on board
the Royal Albert screw steam-ship and Terrible steam
frigate on Monday afternoon, inspecting the progress of
those vessels, died shortly before one o'clock on Tuesday
morning.

SINCAILAR ACC/DENT.—While the clerks at the Electric
Telegraph-office, Strand, London, were preparing to let
down a large signal ball, erected on the roof of their
office, in communication with Greenwich Observatory, a
vivid flash of lightning struck the wires, and knocked it
down three minutes before its time. A clerk narrowly
escaped having his hand crushed.
A Scomr MISER.—An old man named Neilson, who
had been staying some time in lodgings in North Leith,
died on Tuesday week. He had expressed a wish that he
should be buried in his ordinary clothes—that is, in his
trousers, vest, coat, hat, &c. Previous, however, to
attiring him-, the family he had been living with examined
his clothes, and found secreted in the band of hia drawers
£3OO in notes, £2OO in the band of his trousers, a bill for
£3OO within the lining of his hat, and there were-other-
wise found in odd-corners about his clothes sums amount-
ing to £l26—altogether, £926 sterling ! These treasures
having been collected, the minister of the parish was sent
for, and an agreement was made that any relatives shall
be advertised for.- The man was about 64 years-of age,
and having only come recently to Leith, was compara-
tively a stranger in the place. He was a plasterer, and
made all his money by his own hands.—Scotsmant

INTERCOLONZAD POSTAGE.—A numerous deputation
waited, on Saturday, upon the prime minister, for the
purpose of urging upon the Government the propriety of
reducing the colonial rate of postage from 63., as proposed
by the Postmaster-general, Viscount Canning, to. 3d.
His lordship, in a very unusual tone of frankness, told
them he saw no• ground for reversing the decision to
which the government have come.

CONVICT E&TatItLISIIMEN"VeI-The government have
purchased the old House of Correction at Brixton, which
was vacated by the board of superintendence of the 3urrey
prisons, on the removal of the Surrey penitentiary to the
new county prison at Wandsworth. It is intended to
establish, at Brixton, a der Lt for female convicts• only,
under sentence of transportation, and to place the new
establishment under the board of superintendence of ,
convict prisons.

BUENOS AYRES.—By the steam-ship Tay, arrived at
Southampton, we have advices from Buenos Ayres to the
4th of March. The civil war still continued, but there
was some prospect of its termination when the Tay left.
The army of Lagos was still outside the walls on the
offensive, whilst the inhabitants were all well prepared in
case of a crisis. An armistice bad been arranged for eight
days, commencing on March 3; the day before the steamer
left, to permit the negotiations. The commission sent
by Urquiza was at Parana or at Diamantes, awaiting the
return of the commissioners. It was said that he
had a large armed force prepared, with which he would
cross the river and march on Buenos Ayres, in case
of the failure of the negociatioss. Business was still at a
stand-still ; merchants standing about the streetaasking
for news and discussing rumours; no one able to see the
termination of the civil war.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF. BIGAMY AND ATTEUPT AT
MURDER. SHEFFIELD, SATURDAY MORNIN u. The
greatest possible excitement has prevailed here during the
last 48 hours, in consequence of the following atrocious
case of bigamy, and the attempted murder of the father of
one of the wives, having, been made by a man named
Stephen Brown, a meat repulsive-looking fellow.
The facts of the case may be derived from the fol-
lowing summary of the evidence taken on Friday by
the magistrates (H. 'Wilkinson, Esq., and G. P. Nay-
lor. Esq.) :—lt appeared that a young woman, the
daughter of a police-officer, had, unknown to her
father, formed an acquaintance with Brown, not knowing
that he had already several wives. She was induced, by the
false statements made by, the prisoner, to accompany him on
Sunday morning last to _Rotherham, where they were both
married. At a late hour on that day the father having been
made acquainted with what had occurred, he proceeded to a
house of questionable character,where Brown pretended he
had. taken apartments, but, being denied admittance, he
broke open the door, and claimed his daughter. He was
repulsed by the fellow, but he succeeded in bringing her
away. Subsequently. Brown took out a summons against
Mr.. Stocks, the father, for an alleged assault, and on
Thursday morning the father, accompanied by his
daughter, was proceeding towards the Town-hall,
when the scoundrel, who had followed them, seized
hold of Stocks, and before he was. aware of his in-
tention drew a pistol from his pocket, and hold-
ing it to his head pulled the trigger. Providentially,
it missed fire,, and Stocks snatched the murderous weapon
from his hand. The villain then drew forth a second
pistol, and was in the act of presenting it when he was
seized and disarmed. On examining the pistols, they
were found to be heavily charged with powder and ball'
and, had not the first missed fire, Stocks would have been
inevitably killed on the spot. The prisoner was remanded.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 18.

•BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
TURKEY.—A telegraphic despatch from Constanti-
nople, via" Trieste, states that alarming rumours were in
circulation respecting the demands of Prince Menschikoff,
on the part of the Russian Government. It was reported
that the Turkish Government were making great prepara-
tions in manning the 2eet, and had called out the militia.
Advices from Corfu state that a Turkish fleet, consisting
of thirteen ships, was at anchor at Batrinto, on the Bth
instant. The above rumours must be received with
caution.—No other news of interest.