The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-07 00:00:00

MUSIC AND THE DITAI3-A.

AT THE THEATRE ROYAL we have been gratified,
during the past week, with at least one novelty, and that a
pleasing one, in the debut of a young ladY, who from
choice or advice has selected Liverpool as the arena on
which she should first win smiles and plaudits from an
audience. The part allotted for her first appearance was
that of Juliana, in Tobin's favourite play of the!" Honey-
moon"—a character in itself demanding the presence of
considerable histrionic versatility ; but at the same time
affording ample scope for the display of personal graces,
good taste, and delicacy of feeling. The fair debutante,
whose nom de theatre has been declared Miss Aside/ton,
is endowed with, many natural qualities, which of them-
selves would be more than sufficient to win for her an
encouraging welcome from an audience of discrimination.
Her entrance on the stage is marked by modest ease, un-
tinctured by embarrassing diffidence. Her figure is tall
and elegant, although from her extreme youth not fully
developed ; her features are pleasing, and susceptible of
varied expression; her demeanour, ladylike andunassum-
ing. The style of her elocution is indicative of good sense
and careful training. As for her figure, her youth must
also plead for the undeveloped thinness of her voice, the
modulations of which, however, are indicative of a good
musical ear. In point of dressing she displayed good
taste, and a dueappreciation of effective adornment. So
much for externals. Of her acting it is only bare justice
to say she read her author well ; if she did, nothing to
enkindle enthusiasm, she successfully avoided all cause of
offence. In her earlier scenes she displayed both judg-
ment and vivacity ; in those of the concluding act, she
exhibited much sweetness of disposition and delicacy of
feeling, with a fine dash of truly feminine affection. As
a whole her debut, if not a brilliant one, we look, on as a
successful one.. Her audience seemed dificult to win, being
apparently unwilling to commit themselves in pronouncing
on an otherwise untried case, and under such circum-
stances we were much gratified at her fourth repetition: of
the character on Saturday night, to witness her success
established by a loud and unanimous call for her after the
fall of the curtain. This tribute she appeared to feel
deeply and appreciate much.—Of the other performers in
the play we have little remark. Villiers played Rolando
in his usually gentlemanly way, with spirit and propriety.
As Duke Araaza, Mr. Lorraine would have been more
effective if he had been less energetic; more natural, if he
had been less noisy. The Mock Duke of Mr, F.. Xounge
was a piece of capital acting. He dressed, looked, and
swaggered the character admirably. The other parts were
creditably filled up, and would have been no, less so had
their respective representatives been more fully acquainted
with the dialogue of the play. The performances of the
evening were concluded by the thirty-ninth representation
of the " Butterfly's Ball," which, in defiance of the nil-
admirari portion of the community, continues to exercise
undisputed sway over the cachinatory faculties of nume-
rous spectators.
CLAYTON-HALL.—THE MAEIONETTES.—The new en-
tertainments provided by Mr. Coleman, at the Clayton-
hall, are attracting commendation and patronage from
delighted assemblages of spectators. The display is well
managed, and sustains the reputation Mr. Coleman had
achieved in his very clever performance of " Masks and
Faces."

SONGS AND SAYINGS BY SA.MITIIL LOVEII.-A new
entertainment, under this title, from the facile pen of Mr.
Lover, is to be given in the New Music-hall, Bold-street,
for the first time in Liverpool, this evening, by Mr. E. L.
Hime. This talented gentleman has, we observe, been
giving the same entertainment in London, where his per-
formance of it has elicited warm and enthusiastic approba-
tion in the metropolitan critical circles. They pronounce
the melange as one of great interest, and are exceedingly
complimentary as to Mr. Rime's rendering of the author's
wit and humour—of his pathos and sentiment,

THE CHARGE AGAINST CAPT. WALKER.—The inquest
on the body of the seaman Thompson was resumed on
Wednesday. Dickson, a cooper on board the Ensign,
stated that the crew received provisions in terms of the
articles they had signed, and that lime juice was served
out every day at eight bells at the capstan. After passing
the Western Isles, severe weather began, many of the
men fell sick, and there were only two coopers and two
seamen left in each watch, along with the first mate and
captain, to work the ship. The ship was making a good
deal of water, and the captain took his spell at the pump.
This witness stated that he never heard the men complain
of the want of bread, although they did of its quality.
Captain Walker, he added, was the best man he ever sailed
under. Richard Rutter, another cooper, George Hardy,
the chief officer, and two of the crew gave evidence to the
same effect. Mr. Benn, owner of the Ensign, stated that
during the time Captain Walker had been in his employ-
ment (three years,) he had always been well spoken of by
his crew ; and the captain himself deposed to the danger-
ous position of the ship after leaving the Azores, stating
that, for three weeks in the latter part of the voyage, he
had never had his clothes off. Several of the witnesses
stated that Thompson had, before leaving the African
coast, been much debilitated' by the " country sick-
ness." The jury returned a verdict finding that the death
had arisen from the effects of scurvy, and that no blame
attached to Captain Walker or his officers, but that the
men appointed to attend to the sick appeared to have been
remiss in their duty.
CHARGE AGAINST A MATE FOR STEALING CARGO.—
James Carr, the first mate of the American packet ship
Arkansas, was charged, on Wednesday, with stealing six
barrels of flour, a portion of the cargo of that vessel.
Rafferty, who had purchased the flour, said the purchase
was made in the presence of the mate and Johnson, and
produced a receipt from Johnson. The prisoner said the
charge had been preferred against him because Captain
Otis had a spite against him. It was a mercantile law of
his country, that a mate having tile charge and responsi-
bility of the cargo, if any remained over and above the
manifest to the consignees, lie was allowed it as a perqui-
site in addition to his wages. There was one barrel,
marked " S. D.," and two others, which he called Captain
Otis's attention to ; and the captain said if no one claimed
it he was to appropriate it to the ship's stores. He had
been 25 years at sea, and such had always been the
practice. Captain Otis knew this to be the practice, and
had told him in his own cabin that on his last voyage his
mate had 52 sacks of salt over, for which he had given
him a sovereign.—Captain Otis said it was not an Ameri-
can law, but could not be certain that he had said he
might keep the barrels for ship's stores. The case was
adjourned till next day, when it was dismissed.
ROBBERY OF A CASH-BOX CONTAINING £27s.—David
Evans, who represented himself as a joiner, was charged
on Thursday, with stealing a cash-box containing about
£275 14s. 3d., the property of Mr. Pitt, Strand-street, on
the 7th of October last. Mr. Pitt said the box contained
a bill at fourteen months for £79 3s. Bd. ; a cheque for
£l2 19s. ld., and one for £7 2s. ; and 1.0. U. for £72 135.,
and about £B9 in gold and silver.—Carlyle, a detective
officer, said he apprehended the prisoner on Wednesday,
whilst engaged at the east side of the Salthouse dock.
He said two women came into Mr. Cooper's house, in
Milk-street, and asked him to open the cash-box, which
he did, and they gave him a £5 note for his trouble.—Mr.
Cooper said the prisoner occupied the top room over his
shop to do jobs of joiner's work ,and one day he came with
two women, one of whom spoke very loud, and the pri-
soner told him never to mind her, as she was his wife.
He saw very little of the prisoner until the 27th of Oct.,
when, on going into the room occupied by the prisoner,
to use a grindstone, he put his foot upon the cash-box,
which was concealed among some shavings, and handed it
to the police.—Mrs Meldrum, the keeper of a public-house
in James-street,!said that on the day on which Mr. Pitt
(whose premises are next door) lost his cash-box two
women came into her house, and shortly afterwards she
missed a satin dress, which cost £lo.—This dress, it ap-
pears, had been presented by the prisoner's wife to her
sister, who resides in Carlisle, and the prisoner had pur-
chased a watch and a quantity of new furniture since the
robbery, having been previously in needy circumstances.
—Mr. Pitt identified the cash-box and the documents it
contained as his property; the £B9 in gold and silver being
all that remained deficient. The prisoner was remanded
for seven days.

PETITION [ADVERTISEMENT.]
DUTY.

The following is the substance of the petition to the House
of Commons, from the members of the Unity Fire Insurance
Association and others interested in the repeal of the duty on
fire insurance
The petition of the policy holders and other members of
the Unit) Fire Insurance Association, and of the undersigned
persons, who are desirous of extending the benefits of fire in-
surance to all classes of her Majesty's subjects,
" Humbly showeth—That your petitioners believe it to be
an acknowledged principle of your honourable house, that it
is the duty of the legislature to encourage, as far as legislation
can do so, habits of prudence and foresight in every member
of the community, and especially in the middle and industrial
classes.

"That, in conformity with this wise and parental principle,
your honourable house did, by the 3rd and 4th NI, illiam IV,
cap. 23, most justly exempt from duty all insurance from loss
or damage by fire on all agricultural produce, farming stock
(live or dead), and implements of husbandry ; as also, by
other acts, all hospitals, infirmaries, asylums, and workhouses.
" In conformity with the same great principle, your hon.
house did, by the 7th Victoria, cap. 21, materially redude the
duty upon marine insurance, and in the last session of par-
liament did grant a large reduction in the stamp duty upon
policies of life assurance, as well as an exemption from in-
come tax of the moneys devoted by individuals to life assur-
ance purposes.
"That, while these exemptions are accepted as a great and
wise boon, they bring into still stronger contrast the far
heavier burden of a duty on insurance of the remaining pro-
perty of the country trout fire.
"That, besides a uniform stamp duty of Is. upon every fire
policy, however small the amount insured may be, there is
also a separate and constant annual duty of 3e. per cent. upon
the sum insured.

" That, in all commonly hazardous insurances, the pre-
mium charged by the offices amounts to only ls. 6d. per cent.
per annum, so that the 3a. annual duty is double, or 200 per
cent. upon the premium.
"That, to artisans and others of the great industrial
classes, the whole of whose property consists of their furni-
ture and the tools of their trade, the fiscal charges (amount-
ing to 266 per cent. per annum upon the premium of a policy
for £100) operates as a complete bar against insurance.
"That, so severe is this tax upon prudence and foresight
felt to be by the community at large, that the proportion of
property insured from fire in the United Kingdom scarcely,
if at all, exceeds one-third of the ascertained amount of pro-
perty insurable".
"That, in marine insurance, by the salutary act passed in
her present Majesty's reign (7th Victoria, cap. 21), the rate
of duty was reduced to 3d. per cent. so long as the rate of
premium does not exceed 10s. per cent., while in fire insur-
ance, on the contrary, it is still kept up at 3s. per cent.,
although the rate of premium be but Is. 6d. per cent. Thus,
on marine insurance the duty is but 3d. per cent. upon the
premium, while in fire insurance the duty alone is 200 per
cent. upon the premium, besides the is. tax upon the policy.
"That your petitioners, while they hail with gratitude the
justice and the wisdom of those boons to the agricultural and
shipping interests, further pray your honourable house to
take into your favourable consideration the justice and ex-
pediency. of affording a similar exemption to all other pro-
Perky and implements of industry, whether tools of handi-
craft or any other machinery.
"Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that the uniform
stamp duty upon all fire policies may be reduced from is to Id.
Policies may be. repealed ; or that it may be reduced to 6d.
":Ihat the amount of duty now chargeable upon all fire
per cent.; or that such other modification may be made in
the duty now levied on fire insurance risks as your honour-
able house may in its wisdom see fit.",
The directors beg to announce to the shareholders, insurers,
and the public, that the petition embodying the above views
is MAX lying for signature at Um chief office, 40, Pall-mall,
London; at the Unity Unwell, races (Mr. John Smith's),
VoraMerCe.-court, 11, Lsozd-atrieet,, and other places in LAerr
povli 4tol at the nwheroustneushilt throughout ttA.41.4401u.

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH A.T.73,
ASSOCIATION.

AN:N:T.TAL REPORT.

THE second annual report of the St. John's Church Aid'
Association has just been published, and from that interest,
ing document we learn with much satisfaction that the
affairs of the association continue prosperous. The total
amount collected in' St John's during the past year was
£541 10s. 6fd. A very large sum indeed, when the fact
of its being almost entirely afree and poor man's church
is taken into account:. The report, which is full of very
interesting details, is, prefaced by an admirable address
from the Rev. W. F. Taylor, M.A., the greatly esteemed
and highly talented 'incumbent of St. John's ; from that
address we make the following extracts, and recommend
their attentive perusal:—
'
" The year 1853 has -rolled by with all its cares, interests;
and anxieties, the year 1854 has been commenced, with all
its hopes and fears, let me hope that it finds you growing
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. The review of the year which is past is cal-
culated to cheer and encourage for the future. God has
given us many mercies ; how often have we been per-
mitted to meet together in that church of hallowed asso-
ciations —St. John's ! how often have we there joined
together in the blessed exercise of prayer and praise, when
the sacred edifice has. indeed resounded with the loud
hallelujahs ascending from the hearts as well as the lips of
its 'crowded assemblies ! how often have we been permitted
to unite together in serious consideration on the sublime
topics of salvation by faith in a crucified Redeemer—rege-
neration by the powerftil agency of the Holy Spirit—the
matchless grace, the glorious person and wondrous offices
of Christ ! How often have we knelt together at the table
of the Lord and received.the sacred symbols of His body
and blood whilst feeding on Him in our hearts by faith
with thanksgiving! These are mercies of no ordinary
character ; let me ask, have they produced in our hearts
their legitimate effects ? Have they produced a more com-
plete conformity to the moral image—the spiritual like-
ness of our glorious Redeemer ? Have they brought you
nearer to the fountain of all happiness—the well of living
waters—Christ ? Is your faith increased, your love in-
flamed, your hope brightened ? Are you becoming more
and more alive to the• absorbing interests of eternity ?
more zealous to make known to all around ' the unsearch-
able riches of Christ ?' Are you more holy, more self-
denying, and more anxious for the honour of God ?
" It is no small encouragement to me, my brethren, to
find that the good work is prospering amongst us—'our
congregations still keep up their ancient character, our
Tuesday evening assemblies particularly rejoice my heart.
It is truly cheering and animatinc, to see so many come
together after their daily toil and labour from the shop,
the factory, the warehouse, to spend an hour in meditating
on the word of life. The great advantage of attending
regularly on a weekly exposition of some consecutive por-
tions of Holy Writ, I would affectionately urge upon all.
The word of God is a mine of spiritual wealth; its most
precious treasures are only brought to light by laborious
application. True, there are many choice jewels lying
even upon the surface, but still there are gems of match-
less brilliancy and great intrinsic value concealed from the
observation of the careless ; let then the shaft be- sunk
deep enough and' the mine thoroughly worked, and the
most laborious exertions will be amply rewarded by the
precious ores and heavenly treasures with which it
abounds, more costly than `the Gold of Ophir or the
Topaz of Ethiopia.' I am glad, therefore, to find this
service appreciated by you, and I desire to look upon it as
a sign of your growth in grace.
" In other respects, too, I feel encouraged, viz.,—in the
ready response I experience from you to every appeal,
whether in behalf of our own congregational or other
Christian institutions. Let me urge you to give during
the present year with increased liberality, remember whose
is the silver and the gold,—it is God that giveth us power
to get wealth, let us give to Him of His own.
I would take this opportunity of repeating what I
have . more than once stated from the pulpit : that we
would do well to set apart one-tenth part of our income
for the cause of God. I believe we would not lose any-
thing by it, if in a spirit of faith and confidence in God
we did so ; the Lord would bless us in our basket and in
our store a hundred fold. `Honour the Lord with thy
substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase,
so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses
burst out with new wine.' Certainly in every such case
he would ' increase the fruits of our righteousness, and
make all grace abound towards us.'
"Be diligent, beloved, in attending on Divine ordi-
nances, public worship, and the Holy Sacrament ; above
all, in private prayer and the reading of the Holy
Scriptures.
Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air ;
His watchword in the hour of death,

He enters Heaven with prayer.

"A prayerless Christian is a contradiction. No man
who neglects private prayer can be right in the sight
of God.

"The word is the food of the soul; desire it as new-
born babes, that ye may grow thereby. Thus only um
you grow up into Him in all things who is the head, even
Christ, and be preserved from being tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine.
"Let family prayer be established in every home,—rear
the altar in the midst of the domestic circle,—gather your
children around you morning and evening and invoke the
Divine blessing upon them and upon yourself.
"I would not conclude without one word to the careless,
alas ! there are such in every congregation—awake from
your indifference—put not away from you the considera-
tion of eternal things, escape is impossible ifyon neglect
so great salvation. Oh ! while life is yet spared flee to
Christ for grace and mercy, lest this year you be cut down
as a cumberer of the ground. The door of mercy is still
open. Jesus yet waits to be gracious ; His blood is still
all powerful to cleanse from all sin ; His righteousness all
sufficient to cover your nakedness; His spirit to renew
your soul after His own blessed image. Flee, then, from
the wrath to come.

"Finally, beloved in the Lord, see that you adorn the
doctrine of God your Saviour in all things; give diligence
to make your calling and election sure ; manifest your
interest in God's everlasting love by the holiness and con-
sistency of your lives, so shall an entrance be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of the
Redeemer."