The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-12-22 00:00:00

THE STANDARD ALMANAC,

In consequence of the extreme satisfaction which this
elegant little Almanac has given, we have had an
extra number printed off, which may be obtained
AT TWOPENCE EACH.
It answers the double purpose of Almanac and
Date Case.

THE " LIVERPOOL STANDARD" FOR
THREEPENCE!

YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION

In advance
On credit .

The announcement which we make to our readers,
that the LIVERPOOL STANDARD is now
offered to the Public for THREEPENCE,
requires from us a word or two of explanation.
For some time past we have had in contemplation
this step—a serious one to ourselves, and one of
no trifling import to the community amongst whom
our paper circulates. We have not been blind to
the fact, that newspaper literature must ultimately
accommodate itself to the requirements of the age;
that the great organ which aspires to direct public
opinion, and which is hourly proving itself more
powerful than statesmen or parties, should be ena-
bled to address its appeals more directly to the
many—to address them in their own homes, and
by their own firesides—to substitute its earnest
teachings for the penny trash, which alone at
present finds its way to the poor man's dwelling
and to the perusal of his family. To effect this,
cheapness is mainly required The hearts of our
humble fellow-countrymen, we know, are not too
enamoured of the wretched sentiment and worse
principles—the inflammatory doctrines and false
philosophy—contained in the papers to which we
have referred as constituting at present their usual
mental food ; and we have arrived at the conclu-
sion, that we are only doing our duty as journal-
ists, conscious of the great responsibility which the
march of circumstances has thrown upon us, in
submitting to a sacrifice—we trust only a tempo
rary one—of our personal interests, with a view
to increased usefulness and advantage to the pub-
lic.
Whilst making this announcement, we must assure
our readers and those friends who have, thus far,
so liberally rewarded our humble labours, that we
do not intend to attempt to compensate ourselves
by any parsimony of management, by which thc,
article which we furnish at a reduced price shall
be less worthy of their acceptance and approbation.
We hope even to improve upon the past. The con-
sciousness that we are addressing a more extended
circle of readers, calls upon us for increased
energy and increased watchfulness for the interests
of those readers. The task before us we fully
recognise ; and we trust that we shall not be
found unequal to perform it faithfully and bene-
ficially.
From one source, and from one alone, we look for
our reward, so far as mere pecuniary considera-
tions extend. We shall be able to give to the
favours of our advertising friends greatly in-
creased circulation and publicity ; and it is only
natural to anticipate that those favours will fall
upon us in an increased degree. Henceforth we
hope to be behind none of our contemporaries in
the advantages which our columns afford to the
advertising community.
We cannot conclude these brief remarks without re-
turning thanks to our friends and the public for
the support which has raised us to our present
position amongst our contemporaries; and we
trust that our future labours will not be less de-
serving or less rewarded.

Z1-)r 74,fbrrpuul. gvidifutati.

TUESDAY MORNING, DEC. 22, 1846.

The productions of South Australia are exciting
considerable attention at the present moment. A
wide field for geological enterprise has opened upon
the colonist, somewhat earlier it is true, but not
more sure than was anticipated by those who laid
the foundation of its present prosperity. A letter
on this subject in our columns of to-day from Col.
Gawler, formerly governor of that colony, will be
re d with much interest. He triumphantly shows
that the calumnies which were unsparingly heaped
upon him at the period of his recall, were but the
offspring of ignorance, and that the outlay which
was there condemned as lavish expenditure, was
but the seed which is now generating such luxuri-
ous fruit.

We believe the day is not distant when both the
people and government of his country will do jus-
tice to the discernment and foresight which dic-
tated the wise policy of Col. Gawler, when governor
of South Australia.

In the present quiescent state of parties, whilst Already the consumption of the country is seriously
rival factions appear to have ceased their strife for reduced. Whilst the speculator in corn is raising
supremacy, affrighted at the complication of evils the poor man's loaf, the speculator in cotton is
into which rash legislation, combined with the de- closing t''e factory, which enables the poor man to
crees of Providence, has precipitated the country— eat. Half wages for the manufacturer is the sure
the Journalist, if he be honest, has no small amount forerunner of half rations. High prices thrown into
of responsitility and of difficulty thrown upon his the hands of the foregn grower inevitably attracts
shoulders. It is his task to direct the mind of the his produce to our markets, and must ultimately
community into the best course, by which the en- bring on a period of glut and ruin. The steady
tanglements of our social position may be unravel- operations of the British farmer are all to which we
led—to mould the temper of our population to a have now to look for safety.
proper submission to the pressure of suffering to be We do not anticipate that a crisis has already
surmounted and of sacrifices to be borne—to teach arrived, or is immediately at hand. The g,p created
and to warn against those errors, into which we in our supply of food, by the partial failure of the
have unhappily been led, by our bli d adherence to potato crop, will perhaps, for a time, absorb our
the dictates of temporary expediency, and our ob- rapidly increasing supplies. But that time cannot
stinate wandering in the mazes of a false and selfish be a long one, when we take into consideration the
philosophy. The press has ceased to he the mere fact that high prices of the leading staples of manu-
exponent of the views of opposing leaders of public facture are limiting the demand for labour, and
opinion. It is. no longer a record of the mere chit reducing the estimated quantity of food required to
chat of coteries. A higher mission is seen, felt and feed our population. We may also feel the effect of
acknowledged; and to the performance of the duties a pressure upon the money market as the result of
of that mission its members must devote themselves our increased imports, and the existing want of
in truthful earnestness, unless they are contented to orders for the manufactured exports. All these cir-
sink in the struggle of intellect into which they are cumstances combine to produce a state of things
rapidly being impelled. against which the farmer will do well to guard, and
The last few years—we may almost say the last which may probably affect, very seriously, those
few months—have witnessed this signal change in unwary persons who are at present dabbling in spe-
our position ; have seen the newspaper press of this culations foreign to their legitimate business, and
and some other countries assume the power, and which they cannot be supposed to understand very
ably maintain it, which has hitherto been wielded distinctly. Some of the latter may have to thank
exclusively by the statesman and the senator. We us for our warning.
have seen it shake the power of the demagogue and
the disturber, and arrest the hands of tyranny, The limitation of the salary to be paid to the pre-
whether stretched out from the Throne or from the sent medical officer, appointed under the provisionsof
mob. Better than all, this mighty influence has the sanatory act, to £3OO a year, is certainly not very
advanced as much in character as in power. The complimentary to the gentlemen of that profession,
furious bluster which, a few years ago, would have or consistent with the very onerous duties which
won the encomiums and support of thousands of the act of Parliament imposes upon such officer.
readers, is rapidly falling into contempt, and those, He is required to be a man of " ability and expe-
by whom it is still employed, into impotence. Bitter rience ;" and is

. . .
personalities, malicious slanders, mis-statements or "To inspect and report periodically on the sanatory
exaggerations of facts to injure opponents, are be- condition of the said borough, to ascertain the existence
coming disreputable and comparatively innocuous. of diseases, more especially epidemics increasing the rates
With these views of our changed position, and of soaf
nniceosrotartilearnidoctaol
causespoitit owuthitchhe
are the
toof
oarnigy
inn
au i
t e-
our duty, strongly impressed upon us, we feel bound. and maintain such diseases and injutimplY affect the
in entering upon what we humbly hope will prove I health of the inhabitants of the said borough, and to take
to be a wider career of usefulness, to refuse to cognizance of the fact of the existence of any contagious
bandy personalities with those few of our contetn- disease, and to point out the most efficacious modes for
poraries who appear to take a more limited view of j checking o. r preventing the spread.
of such diseases, and
the responsibility of their mission. We have taken tialsotion
to of pcnhiontreohuets,thce most efficient means for the ventila-
hapels, schools, registered lodging-
an important step, with our eyes fully open to its I houses and other public ediffices within the said borough,
possible personal risks ; and we shall not turn aside and to perform any other duties of a like nature which
from the course of duty, to which we have devoted may be required of him."
ourselves, either to puff ourselves or to revile our In addition to all this, he has, whenever required
rivals. Any increased influence, which we may gain by the coroner, to make "a post mortem examina-
with the public, we are content to leave to the issue tion, with or without analysis of the contents of the
of our exertions to benefit our fellow beings ; and of stomach or intestines, without fee or reward," in all
the correctness or incorrectness of our views of cases where an inquest is held. To do this mass of
human affairs, and of national policy, time and ex- work well is obviously quite incompatible will the
perience must be the exponents. j enjoyment of much leisure or opportunities of pri.
There is surely enough for the Journalist to do, vate practice ; and if a first-rate man is to be
in the honest endeavour to remove the evils, with secured, it is rather beneath the character of a
which he feels that the nation and mankind are sur- wealthy corporation to press that talent into their
rounded, without admitting into the quietude of the service without a fair and adequate reward.
closet the bitter contentions which too often deface We know, however, sufficient of the public
the proceedings of the public assembly. The temper spirit and liberality of the heads of the profession