The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-01-12 00:00:00

LIVER THEATRE, CHURCH-STREET.

COMBINATIO' OF TALENT.
The Public is respectfully informed that in consequence of
...
7 the unprecedented success of
Mr. T. P. COOKE, -
in the various characters he has. performed du • g his recent
engagement, together with the undiminish attraction of
MY POLL AND MY PART 1 1 JOE,
'Mr. T. P. Cooke has been prevai)ed ui o renew his engage-
ment for a few evening nger.
The Misses SMl'
~.,
(Nieces of the celebrated Miss. Stephens,)
Mr. SMITH, and Mr. I.3YNGE,. . .
are also en gaged for a limited period.,
THIS present TUESDAY, the 12th instant,:. and every
Evening during the week, will be kerfortned the Nautical
Drama of 1 „.

MY POLL AND MY PARTNER JOE.
Harry Halyard Mr. T. P. %Doke.
With the popular Interlude of
PECCADILLOES.
In which the Misses Smith and Mr. Bingejwill introduce several
admired Airs. -
To conclude with , •
SQUALLS ASHORE.
Principal Character by Mr. T. P. Cooke.

Eibcrpool g:tanbarb.

TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 12, 1836.

We received yesterday by the packet ship Virginian,
which sailed from,New York on the 24th December, pa-
pers and other advices to that date inclusive. These
contain full accounts of a dreadful fire which desolated
the town of New York on the 16th December, the ear-
liest and most alarming details of which we received
through the London journals of. Saturday last. We are
happy, however, to say that the amount of loss does not
exceed one half of the sum calculated upon. By the
first arrivals it was supposed that twenty-five millions of
dollars would scarcely cover the damage done ; but these
papers tell a different and much more flattering tale.
The greatest alarmists do not claim more than fifteen
millions, while the more moderate and the best informed
estimate the loss at about ten millions of dollars—in
other words at two millions of pounds sterling.
This, we admit, is a severe calamity, which must in-
volve many persons in ruin,, and reduce. many more to
circumstances of difficulty and embarrassment; but, if
New York be a wealthy town, it is impossible that so
trifling a loss can affrct the public credit ,of the United
States, or even the credit of a single bank or insurance
office. If there be in New York any bank or any insu-
rance office so easily affected the sooner. such ciencern
stops payment and winds up its affairs the better for the
whole community.

The laws of the United States, like its primitive insti-
tutions, are based upon the purest princiPles of patriot-
ism, and, consequently, visitations of this frightful na•
ture are so well regulated and adjusted, that in most
cases the loss sustained falls upon foreigners. We have
no doubt but that a large proportion of the goods de-
stroyed by the ", devouring element" was held on com-
mission at the risk of Biitish- merchants and manufac-
turers. Of the fifty-two acres ot houses and warehouses,
and of the'places called "stores," destroyed by the con-
flagration, the most part will have to be rebuilt at the ex-
pense of the people of this country. Questionless much
property was forgotten to be insured, and some of that
which was insured runs considerable hazard of not being
paid for. The insurers and the agent of the insured.are ge-
nerally the same persons, and it naturally happens some-
times that mistakes occur exceedingly unfavourable to
those who, living on this side of the Atlantic, have not
the honour of being citizens of the republic.

From all we can glean from the papers it would ap-
pear that the fire was accidental. At the first blush we
certainly (lid fear that the O'CONNELL fencibles of New
York, taking advantage of a hard frost and a strong north.
easterly wind, had some hand in the work ; but we are
not favoured•with any proof of incendiarism beyond that
of a man being caught setting fire to a floor in a particu-
lar store, being arrested for so doing, and afterwards con-
triving to make his escape! Perhaps it will turn out
after all that arson is not recognised as a crime by the
LYNCH code. If free citizens have a right to hang inno-
cent persons without even the formality of a trial, surely
the same citizensliaVe a right to burn stores and British
" dry'goods" without consulting the interests of the par-
ties concerned, or the old- fashioned maxims of
,jurispru-
dence.

The New York Daily Advertiser, of the 24th Decem-
ber, has the following. paragraph, written under such
kindly feelings towards this country, that we cannot' re-
sist inserting it for the benefit of our uninitiated readers.
" INSURANCE.—We now see the folly of driving from our
shores the capital of foreigners. By a paltry policy we prohi-
bited the great London capitals from insuring in this city.
Many of the companies, who had a capital of twelve millions of
pounds sterling, were doing business here, taking our risks at
the lowest rates, and paying their losses with the greatest fide-
lity. If those companies now existed, it is probable that at least
half our immense loss would have fallen on them ; they would
have drawn their bills on England, and the whole would have
been settled in less than thirty days. It is, however, now too late
to repent, but it may teach us a lesson hereafter."

Thank you, dear brother JONATHAN, but it is too late !
Tt would have been immensely agreeable for you to have
drawn for half, or two-thirds of your lois on England at
thirty days, arid probably, in the hurry of business, you
would hav'e—craTviii-Tor a still larger proportion ; but as
you now insure yourselves, with companies who are little
better than insolvents, at rates surprisingly low, we are
content that you should receive all the benefit of your
national enterprise. To insure any property in America,
or any American ship, or any floating property belonging
to an American, will, we trust, be Soon.altogether out of
the question in England.'

A full account of the fire will be found in the proper
place, and to later dates than has appeared in any other
journal.

We have Van Dieman's Land and New South Wales
papers to the Ist of August. The latter state that the
excesses committed by " bands of ruffians who scour the
Country in all directions, so as to render it unsafe to stir
abroad," continued unabated.

The proceedings of. the " Patriotic Association" in
New South Wales, the appointment of Mr. HENRY
LYTTON BULWER, M.P., to the office of parliamentary
advocate, with a salary of £2,000 per annum, and obtain.
ing from the crown the grant of a representative house
of assembly, or legislative council, were the chief subjects
under discussion in that colony. .Speaking of the corn-
parative merits •of Mr. ButwEa and Mr. FOWEL BUXTON,
as the paid advocates 'of the' colony in the House of Con-
mons, the Colonist says:—
"We happen to know another member of parliament who
takes as deep an interest in this colony as Mr. 13uliver, and
whose levelling propensities are not only as well known, but
have been far more successions' tried. The member we allude
to is our countryman, Mr. 'lime, who, as a proprietor of this.
Australian Agricultural Coinpany, has a, personal interest in
promoting the welfare and
pi osperity of. this colony; and we
are confident, moreover, that if entrusted with our petitions, he
would labour for our welfare as zealously as Mr. Bulwer can
possibly do. Why then-should we not transmit o.ur petitions-

J