The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-09-14 00:00:00

Lords in Waiting

Captain of the Yeomen of the Marquis of Lothian.
Guard
Captain of the Gentlemen Pen-1 Lord Forester.
sioners. .
Controller of the Household
Master of the Buckhounds
Groom in Waiting Captain H. Meynell.
THE LADIES.
Mistress of the Robes Duchess of Buccleuch. 1

{.
Marchioness Camden. 2
Lady Lyttelton. 3
Ladies of the Bedchamber .... Lady Portman. 4
Countess Gainsborough. 5
Countess Charlemont. 6
Maid of Honour.. . . Hon. Eleanor Stanley.
PRINCE ALBERT'S HOUSEHOLD.
Groom of the Stole

Sergeant-at-Arms
Clerk Marshal...

Colonel Perceval.
Lord C. Wellesley

EFFECT OF REPEALING THE CORN LAWS

The Churchman's Monthly Review for September (a very
able periodical) takes the following common-sense view of
the disastrous result to this country which would follow a
repeal of'the protecting corn duties. We extract it from a
notice of the Hon.'and Rev. Baptist Noel's "Plea for the
Poor" :

Although we are now suffering prodigious distress from
the obvious cause of an over-production of manufactures—
Mr. Noel hesitates not to assure us that manufactures can
take up and employ all our increase of 413,000 per annum,
if only the corn laws ere repealed, and a fixed duty of only
Bs. per quarter substituted for the present moveable scales
And how does he arrive at this comfortable assurance? By
merely assuming two things :-1. That if we open our port.
to foreign corn, the ports of the Continent will immediately
be opened to British manufactures-2. That the result would
be a vast increase in the demand for British goods.
Now, we have not the slightest expectation that either of
these hopes would be realised. The Germans are bent on
encouraging their own manufactures; they have been sedu-
lously and earnestly pursuing this object for many years ;
nor will our willingness to purchase corn from them at all
induce them to alter their course. They do not wish to have
the price of food enhanced among them by our drawing off
their supplies ; nor do they wish to expose their native ma-
nufactures to unnecessary competition. There is no ra-
tional ground whatever for imagining, that our consenting to
purchase their corn will induce any considerable change in
their Commercial restrictions.

But why should such a point as this be left to supposition?
What right has any Ministry in England to propose so fear-
ful an experiment, to be tried in the dark ! The ground, the
sole ground on which the change is advocated—the entire
basis of Mr. Noel's argument—is, that if we will take the
corn of Prussia, the Prussians will take the manufactures of
England. Now why should this governing point of the
question be left to a probability, a hope, a conjecture ?
What difficulty can exist in obtaining a plain answer—yes or
no—from the Prussian government? If they desire that we
should open our ports to their corn, they would of course
enter into negociations to obtain that object• But we believe
that the fact is, that they have been already sounded on this
point, and show not the least disposition to treat. If this be
so, what folly, what blindness would it be, to alter our own
course, upon the entirely mistaken assumption, that they
would meet us by similar concessions !

The second orMr. Noel's assumptions is—that if such a
concession were made, and if the continental ports were
opened to our manutacture—the consequence would be a
vast increase of demand. We believe that this also is an
entirely baseless assumption. Mr. Noel tells us, that the
people of the continent, to revenge themselves on our corn-
laws, persist in preferring to " manufacture for themselves,
against their own interest, dearer and worse goods than they
could buy of us." If he would consult our merchants and
manufacturers, he would learn his mistake. He would soon
he told of the various markets, in all parts of the world, out
of which the manufacturers of Saxony, Prussia, and Swit-
zerland are now driving us, by producing Letter and cheaper
goods than we can offer. A Leicester stocking-maker. Mr.
Rawson, at an anti-corn-law meeting in 1838, said—
" He was about to give a large order for hosiery to a com-
mercial traveller from Saxony, on which he should pay five
per cent. expenses, and twenty per cent. duty, and yet should
have a handsome profit remaining, for he bought for 2s. Gd.
what he could not procure in Nottingham for less than 55."
Again, Mr. Gregg, the late M.P. for Manchester, a warm
opponent of the corn-laws, said, in one of his speeches—
" I have a specimen of German prints, which is sold at
-Iris. Gd. the piece, and a similar one in England costs 17e. Gd.
The German exceeds the English both in execution and
work."

Now, with this plain testimony before us, and actually
finding, ing, as we do, that German manufacturers are under-
selling us in every market in the world, how weak, how
irrational would it be to legislate upon the utterly groundless
hope, that
if we could only obtain entrance for our manu-
factures into Germany, we must of course drive the German
manufacturers out of the field. Mow should such a result
be obtained ? The Saxons and Prussians are clever, ener-
getic, industrious. They have now the same machinery
with ourselves, Their habits are simpler • their mode of
life more frugal; 'their taxation lighter. How should it
happen, then, that we could competewiththem in the fabri-
cation of cottons or woollens, paying cost of transit, &c.,
and yet underselling them at their own doors?
But, lastly, there is this grand fallacy constantly per-
vading all the arguments of the corn-law repealers—of
mistaking a change qf customers for an increase of trade.
The burden of Mr. Noel's " Plea" is constantly this,
" Let us take corn from the people on the Continent, and
and then they will take manufactures from us. If we will
not buy from them, neither can they buy from us."
Now this reasoning is just as good for " home consump-
tion" as for application to our dealings with foreigners. No
one can attempt to deny, that it is quite as true of our own
farmers as of those of Poland—that if we do not buy of
them they cannot buy of us."
Suppose, then, a million quarters of wheat imported, be-
cause we can buy it at 40s. per quarter from the Poles or the
Prussians, while our own farmers ask 60s. The result. is,
that X 2,000,000 sterling is scattered among the continental
corn-growers, and X 3,000,000 less than heretofore is brought
into the home market. The Germans become more able
than before to buy our manufactures, f they choose to do
so; but the English farmers become less able. In what
way can the manufacturer be benefited by the change?
No one attempts to deny—no one can deny—that the in-
troduction of foreign corn will tend to push the English corn
out of the market. The price will be lowered ; the demand,
to the English farmer, will be lessened by the new compe-
tition. All this obviously tends to weaken and depress the
home market for manufactures. The farmer, the labourer,
and the landlord will all spend less money in the shops, for
the obvious reason, that they will have less money to spend.
A certain damage is then done. But where is the recom-
pensing gain ? It is all uncertain. It is uncertain what sort
of entrance we shall gain for our manufactured goods upon
the continent. It is uncertain in what branch of manufactures
we shall have any chance of competing successfully with the
clever and industrious Germans. It is uncertain, lastly,
what proportion of the very large sum which. we must pay for
corn, on a free-trade system, will ever be likely to flow back
to us, in exchange for our manufactures.
But amidst all this uncertainty, one thing is certain—
namely, that a substitution of a fixed duty for the present
system, would lead to large imports of corn from the conti-
nent. That it would do so, is confessed and rather boasted
of, by the advocates of free trade ; in fact, if this be not the
object, and an object likely to be attained by the proposed
change, then is the present agitation a most unwarranted and
wicked one.

It would bring much foreign corn into our market, dis-
placing much of British growth. It would thus discourage
agriculture ; force the farmer to give up the growth of corn
on the poorer lands ; and in this way throw great numbers of
the present farm-labourers out of employ. All this clear and
positive evil it must produce. The countervailing good is
distant, partial, and most uncertain. Hence, %ve say, that
in thus advocation an immediate evil, in the vain hope of a
distant and doubtful good, Mr. Noel's plea is not jar, but
against the poor.

DUTCH OFFICERS AND UMBRELLAS.—The Utretch Ga-
cette mentions that the Director-General of War in Holland
has published a notice allowing officers, when not on duty,
to use umbrellas I

EXECUTION OF JOHN AND_JAMES POWEI
FOR THE MURDER OF JOHN PETERS.

(Front-the Tipperary Constitution.)

-
On• Saturday last these unfortunate men underwent the
extreme penalty of the law in front of our county gaol. We
have seldom seen such anxiety evinced on any previous occa-
sion to witness an execution, as was manifested in this in-
stance, which was chiefly attributed to the melancholy cir-
cumstance of the hapless convicts being brothers, as also to
a widely circulated report that-they were guiltless of the
crime for which they were about to suffer. Su early as ten
o'clock, large groups of persons, the greater portion of which
were females, stationed themselves in convenient pF com-
manding a view of the fatal drop, and by twelve k an
immense concourse of people 'was congregated. ' guard
was composed of a strong force of cavalry.-infantry, and po-
lice, who were drawn up in line, and occupied the space in
front of the prison. At a quarter-past one, the wretched
men were seen slowly- moving from the press-room towards
the scaffold, attended by the Rev. Messrs. Mullins, De
Bourke, and Prendergast, with whom they appeared fer-
vently engaged in prayer. Shortly after, the taller of them
(James Power, we believe.) walked out with a firm step and
somewhat hurried pace, to the front of the drop. His face
was rather flushed than otherwise, and his resolution and
strength of nerve was extraordinary. He addressed the-
spectators with a strong and distinct voice, and said—" I
am now about to appear in the presence of my God, andll
solemnly declare that I had neither hand, act, or part in the-
murder for which I am going to die, or any other murder. I:
forgive my prosecutors, and every one who was connected
with my prosecution, and I hope God will forgive me. I
hope ye will pray for me, and beg of God to grant me a fa-
vourable judgment." The other brother then came out, also
exhibiting very great resolution, but quite wan and pale. He
then said, in a very audible voice—" A report has been cir-
culated in the town that one of us was guilty of the crime
for which we are going to die ; but I can declare in the pre-
sence of my God, who will soon judge me, that I had neither
hand, act, or part in that or any other murder. I knew
nothing whatever about it until it was publicly known in the
neighbourhood, and I was first told of it by my sister. Per-
haps the persons who committed that murder are among the
crowd before me. I forgive my prosecutors from the bottom
of my heart, and I die in peace with the world ; I hope ye
will pray to God to have mercy on my soul." After the
executioner had performed his awful task, they took each
other's hands, and continued to shake them with a firm grasp
until the fatal bolt was withdrawn, when they were launched
into eternity after a few short, convulsive struggles. After
the bodies had remained suspended for the usual time they
were conveyed into the gaol for interment.

MURDER AT CHEPSTOW.

(From the Bristol' Standard.)

A melancholy case of murder has occurred at Chepstow.
The victim, Sarah Sophia Fleming, was a native of Bristol,
about 19 years of age, and of considerable personal attrac-
tions. She was induced to leave her home about 12 months
ago, and had latterly abandoned herself to a dissolute course
of life, attaching herself to a young man of idle habits, named
Benjamin James, whom she chiefly supported by her sinful
pursuits.

On Sunday night, the 29th of August last, this poor girl,
with another unfortunate creature of the same class, and
Benjamin James, were walking on Chepstow-bridge, and
were joined by three young men, with whom they went up to
Tuts-hill ; deceased left the party in company with one of
the men, which roused the jealousy of James, who called
after her, and as she did not return, followed her up a lane
called Dead Man's-lane (in which tradition says a murder
was formerly committed), the other girl following him, and
at the end of the lane they found them in the turnpike-road.
It was a moonlight night, and on seeing James, the poor girl
withdrew her hand from the young man, and James ran up
and attempted to strike her, but was twice prevented by the
man, who took hold of him, and begged him to let the girl
alone, calling her to go home, which she refused, saying,
" Ben will beat me worse if 1 do, when he catches me."
James at length got loose, and overtook her at the gate leading
into the Dead Man's-lane, where he struck her violently with
his fist in her right side ; she immediately fell on her knees ;
he dragged her up, and she fell against the wall. The
wretched roan then lay down in the road, and his poor victim
crawled to him and kissed him, saying, " Don't do it any
mote, Ben." He turned towards her and said, " I will mur-
der you !" She kissed him again, and he swore he would
murder and be the death of her ; he did not strike her again,
but, alas ! the mischief was done—she had received her
death blow.

They afterwards 'went down the lane to Chapel-house
Farm, where the two females and James spent the night in a
shed, the deceased suffering acute pain in her'side ; in the
morning James left them in Chepstow, but in the ever.ing
met them on the opposite side of the town, and they re-
mained together all night under a hay-rick, the deceased in
great agony in her right side and back, the internal inflam-
mation increasing rapidly; they continued out the whole of
the following day, and at night James left them, saying he
was afraid to stay lest she should die. Her companion then
supported her through the streets in search of a lodging, and
at length, being quite exhausted, the poor sufferer sank on
the steps of a door, where they were attacked by some vaga-
bond boys, who threw dirt and filth at them. The deceased
exclaimed, " It is hard I cannot be left alone, I am so ill,"
and burst into tears ; her companion got her away and ob-
tained a lodging, where she passed the night in e::treme
agony, and the next morning her father was sent for, who,
being unable to pay a medical attendant, took her to the
poor-house, where she received every attention that medical
aid and kind treatment could afford, but the inflammation
increased, and she expired on Friday evening.
Benjamin James was apprehended on Thursday, and the
poor girl's deposition taken by Colonel Lewis in his pre-
sence, but she was evidently alarmed at the prisoner being in
the room, exclaiming, " Take him away, he will kill me !"
On Friday morning she told her father she was worse, and
said, " Where is Ben? He has murdered me and I am
dying, he ought to suffer as well as me," and expressed a
wish to see the magistrate, as she had something on her
mind; a messenger was despatched to, St. Pierre, and on
Colonel Lewis's arrival, the prisoner was again taken to her
room, hut it was then too late, she had lost the power of
speech—she was dying. The worthy magistrate and all in
the room were deeply affected, except the prisoner, who stood
unmoved at the dreadful scene without betraying the least
emotion, and apparently without the slightest feeling for his
unfortunate victim. On Saturday he was committed to
Monmouth gaol, charged with wilful murder, and the coro-
ner's inquest has since returned a similar verdict.