The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-02-20 00:00:00

TIE LIYIKRPOIL STANDARD.

THE ANTI-PIKE DRAMA OF TUESDAY LAST

It is the almost universal remark that theatricals are
not patronized in the present day : that the regular drama
is at a discount ; and even the plays of the immortal
Shakspeare hiemself—the poet for all time—are performed
to empty benches. Our leading actors and actresses gather
fame and wealth in the Park and the Bowery, amongst the
drab men of Philadelphia and the " notioners" of Boston,
anywhere save in the " flat, stale, and unprofitable" at-
mosphere of Old Drury and Covent-garden. But the
taste for dramatic performances of the irregular kind is
not yet altogether extinct. Impromptu fun still stirs the
vapours from the head of John Bull. We can still laugh
with and at amateur Grimaldis and Bobadils, although the
scenesof their comicalities and contortions have been trans-
ferred from the classic arena and the licensed boards to
Council chambers, and even more dignified and orderly
localities.
What can be a more signal proof of this than the fact,
that on Tuesday last, a crowded audience, who could not
have combined amongst them the amount of patience to
hear out a three act play, stood patiently for seven long
hours in the Sessions-house, flooded all the while with
water statistics, now thrust at with a pike, and then drag-
ged down wells and sewers, in the sole hope, as we verily
believe, of witnessing the concluding performances of
Messrs. Earle, Rath bone, and the unfortun ate object of their
ire, Mr. John Smith of the Mercury ? We can imagine
no evidence so conclusive ; and were our own vocation
dramatic, should be sorry to have our benefit come off on
the same day that one of these irregular performances was
to take place, and the same stars were expected to shine.
Nothing so rich in comedy or broad farce was ever wit-
nessed in Liverpool as the scene of Tuesday. It surpassed
description. _

morialised on this serious obstruction to commerce in the
course of last summer ; but, although signed by all the in-
fluentialfirms in the town, the memorial was rejected, owing
to considerations of a financial nature. The merchants of
this important town, with the commercial interest of Man-
chester, however, were of opinion that this should not
weigh, and that, if necessary, special arrangements should
be made for the benefit of Lancashire, the present postal
system apparently acknowledging only the interest of the
metropolitan city.

With this object, it was determined to request the mem-
bers of parliament, representing leading constituencies,
to use their influence in the matter. Accordingly, a few
days ago, a deputation of merchants, through the kind-
ness of the Mayor, had an interview with Sir Thomas
Birch and Mr. Cardwell, M.P.'s, when the subject was
discussed, and it was determined that memorials from all
the towns mentioned should be forwarded to the Treasury,
accompanied by deputations, representing the necessity
of an immediate alteration in the postal arrangements as
regards these important mercantile communities. Two
modes have been suggested, by which the desired object may
be obtained. One is, that the express train from London,
which arrives at Warrington about 10 p.m., be continued as
far as Edinburgh and Glasgow, receiving at Warrington let-
ters posted in Liverpool and Manchester up to about 8 p.m.
This would also be a convenience to passengers, who
might, by leaving London at 5 p.m., reach Edinburgh or
Glasgow by six or seven o'clock on the following morning,
and parties leaving Liverpool at 8 p.m., might reach the
same destination, instead of leaving Liverpool, as at pre-
sent, at about half-past three o'clock in the afternoon.
The other proposition is, that the Scotch mail train,
which leaves London at 10 p.m., be delayed at Warring-
ton for such a time as shall enable it to take on the north
letters, posted at Liverpool and Manchester from six to
eight o'clock in the evening. This seems to be an ar-
rangement equally conducive to the convenience of cor-
respondents here and in the south, and would assuredly
be felt as a great boon by the manufacturing districts.

There are some men, who are gifted, or cursed, as the
reader likes, with the faculty of provoking mirth, with
respect to the object of Nhich it is difficult to say whether
they, or those whom they are endeavouring to cover with
ridicule, are the real objects; men with whom and at
whom you laugh by turns. Mr. William Earle is one of
this genus. You laugh alternately at his oddity of manner,
at the snappish ferocity with which he assaults alike friend
and foe, and at the severity and pertinence of his hits at
an assailant. Throughout the whole of the proceedings
on Tuesday, it was evident that he was making himself up
for mischief—" nursing his wrath to keep it warm ;" and
when at length it boiled over, during the speech of Mr.
John Smith, and he slapped the extracts in his hand,
which he had culled from the columns of the Mercury,
shrieking out in his peculiar manner "Oh ! oh ! look
here I look here I" it was evident at whose head he was
about to explode. The commencement of his attack upon
the Mercury and Mr. Smith, the personalities in which
he indulged, and the violence of the passion displayed,
naturally offended a meeting consisting mainly of the ad-
vocates of a course of conduct to which he himself was
opposed. But when be had cooled a little, and com-
menced reading the extracts, which he had collected,
showing that, up to so late a period as the 7th of April,
the Mercury was an ardent supporter of the Pike scheme,
he carried the meeting with him in continual bursts of
laughter at the sarcastic 'oddity of the manner and the
matter with which he interlarded his quotations. The
extreme severity, almost savageness, with which he
pointed to Mr. John Smith, who occupied a seat in the
witness box and to whom he referred as "Jack in the
box," and his strange contortions and looks, convulsed the
meeting with laughter.
Of course, we cannot regard without feelings of strong.
condemnation such a display on such an occasion. The
consistency or inconsistency of the Mercury or any other
paper was foreign altogether to the object of the meeting..
The gross personalities used were unworthy of Mr. Earle,
and equally unworthy of an assembly of respectable men.
If Mr. Earle had stood upon his head, or danced the
polka, people would have laughed quite as much, and
learnt quite as much of the merits or demerits of the Pike
scheme, as from the senseless farce enacted.
We can pardon Mr. Earle, however, better than we
can pardon the outbreak of another gentleman, Mr. Wm.
Rathbone. Elderly gentlemen who are at such pains to
remind us that they are " going down to the grave," have
no right to indulge in such passion as Mr. Rathbone dis-
played, when he pointed to the Editor of the Mercury as
" that self-inflated man who sat before the desk." There
was instruction, however, in this very pretty quarrel. It
conveyed to us a notion of the intolerance of Whig Radi-
calism, and of the state of abject slavery in which it
would keep even that press, which it boasts should be
" free as the air we breathe." Tts language is Hamlet's
to the players,—" Speak the speech as it is written for
you." Let their favourite organs, however, presume to
think for themselves upon any subjc)ct, and we see how
promptly they will be insulted and kicked. Mr. Smith,
in his reply, even in the difficult and painful position in
which he was placed, found time to acknowledge the into-
lerant characteristic of his party, as one, however, which
had only just burst upon his mind. "It was rather
strange, he said, " that Mr. Earle always thought the
Mercury a good paper so long as it had agreed with him
in his views ; but no sooner did it oppose him than he
denounced it in the terms he had done that day." To us
it is only strange that he could have consorted with the
party for so many years, and not known them better.

LIVERPOOL AND SOUTHAMPTON STEAMERS,

The North American Royal-Mail Steam-ship Canada,
which left this port on her last outward trip on the 13th
ultimo, reached New York on the 29th. The American
steamer, United States, sailed from Southampton on the
9th ultimo, for New York, but had to put into Halifax on
the 31st ultimo short of coal. Having been supplied with
coal, she proceeded to sea, and arrived at New York at
five p.m., on the sth instant, having been out from
Cowes twenty-seven days, whilst the Canada performed
the passage in sixteen days. She encountered during the
passage very heavy gales ; but as the Canada left after
and arrived before her, she would, in all probability, have
similar weather. The United States was thus beaten by
the Canada about eleven days ; and this is by no means
an isolated case, but is the usual result. The Yankee
papers say that their steamer " sustained herself admirably
under the severe trial," but if se, what an extraordinary
seaboat must the Canada be.

EXTRACTS FROM THE NEW YORK PAPERS
RECEIVED YESTERDAY.

Mrs. Fanny Butler is reading Shakspeare before large
audiences in Boston.

The steamship Unicorn, the pioneer of the Cunard line,
has been sold to a company of gentlemen in this city for
4'48,000, and is to be employed in the California trade.
If the returns meet the anticipations formed, there will
be a population of 200,000 in California in less than two
years, who will require supplies of most of the necessaries
of life, for a time, from the Atlantic ports, employing
hundreds of vessels in their transportation, and in the
trade between California and the ports of the Pacific.
Very few of the vessels which have left this port for San
Francisco will ever return. Those which arrive safe will
find employment in those seas.
It appears that the emigrants to California suffer very
much on the route from Chagres to Panama, and at both
of those places, before they get to the gold region. The
latest news from Panama is of the Bth inst. The steamer
California had not reached that port from New York.
According to the verbal accounts there was plenty to eat
at that place ; hotels on the " Yankee plan" were starting
into existence; and there were three vessels " up" for
California, two of which were schooners. There were
three schooners at Panama announced for San Francisco.
They would leave between the Bth and 20th inst., with
passengers.

SCHOOLS FOR THE POOR.—Collections are now being
made from the inhabitants, resident in the district of St.
John's, in this town, in behalf of a proposed new Boys'
and Girls' Schools. The great want of accommodation
has long been felt, and it is stated that, at least, nearly
2,000 children have been for some time past, and continue
so up to this present moment, totally deprived of any
education whatever. The evils resulting from such a state
of things are too apparent. Should the amount collected
by A.prit next be inadequate for the intended purpose, an
appeal will then be made to the more wealthy merchants
and gentlemen of Liverpool. in the meantime, contri-
butions will be thankfully received by the worthy pastor,
the Rev. W. M. Falloon, M.A.

STILL FURTHER DISCOVERIES. Information has
reached this city of a new discovery of gold regions in the
vicinity of the Rocky Mountains, little more than half
way between here and Sutter's, which surpasses in rich-
ness the mines of California as much as those of California
surpass the mines of New Mexico. The gold is found not
only in the sands of the streams flowing from the moun-
tains, but upon the mountains, mixed with quartz, and in
the rocky strata. Instead of washing the sands, to sepa-
rate the small particles of gold intermingled with them, as
in California, all that is necessary in this new El Dorado
is to find crevices in the rocks, pry or blast them apart,
and clutch the precious metal in pure and solid masses.
We understand a secret expedition is already on foot to
fmc
•ss it is in the heart of a warlike
Indian country, considerable force will be necessary for
the enterprise.—Cincinnati Despatch.
CALIFORNIA GOLD TRIED AND FOUND WANTING.—
Mr. Warwick, of No. 17, John-street, has received a
quantity of the shining metal which abounds in California;
but, for the sake of the hundreds and thousands of enter-
prising young men, who are daily leaving for the gold
diggings, it is to be hoped that this is not a fair specimen
of the ore which is dug from the mountains, or of the
dust which is washed from the sands along the rivers of
that country. The frat piece tested was a lump about the
size of a robin's egg, quite heavy, and bearing a decidedly
golden appearance. Acid poured on this lump made no
impression on the shining mass. The next test made was
by the aid of the pierre de touche. The California lump
was rubbed on the stone, and beside it, on the same stone,
was rubbed a piece of gold sixteen carats fine ; the acid was
then applied to the surface of the stone, and in a few se-
conds the marks of the California metal were entirely
obliterated, while those made by the real gold shone
forth as brightly as ever. Mr. W. proved beyond a
doubt, that the specimen which he had was nothing
but pyrites of iron. It is stated that considerable sales
of spelter solder have been made in this city within a short
time past. This material looks very much like the gold
dust washed from river sands, and the inexperienced eye
would at once be deceived by it. It is sold for a few cents
per pound ; and the impression is, that large quantities
will be shipped to California, and having arrived there,
the probability is that somebody will be taken in by it.
This stuff will not bear the test of acid, so that ordinary
care will prevent deception being practised by its aid.
Another specimen of quasi California gold, produced by
Mr. Warwick, was a very pretty piece of mica, exceed-
ingly handsome to look at, but entirely worthless.

AMATEUR PERFORMANCE AT THE THEATRE-ROYAL,
LAST NIGHT.—This performance, for the benefit of Mr.
Lloyds, a very deserving attache, of many years standing
as prompter, to our Theatre Royal, and respected for his
private character by sk -c Fit., ate iriencts, took
nignt. it was fairly attended ; not so nume-
rously, however, as other similar performances have been.
The amateurs acquitted themselves respectably ; but we
think that it would have been much better policy, so
far as the interests of Mr. Lloyds were concerned, if they
had got up something that we had not heard them in be-
fore. At the late hour at which we write, and with the
press of American news, in particular, before us, we can-
not possibly enter into a critical review of the perform-
ance.

THE WEATHER.—During the fortnight, or thereabouts,
ending on Sunday, we experienced in this part of England
a very unusual continuity of dry and mild weather for so
early a period of the spring. The glass stood, during the
whole of this time, with very little observable variation, at
" Set fair ;" and, though the sky was often grey, or dark,
and hazy, portending rain, no downfal took place, with
the exception of so slight a moisture as but to damp the
flags and highways. On Saturday, Sunday, and yester-
day morning, the glass, which had fallen, stood at about
" fair," but it afterwards fell some few degrees yesterday,
making an approach towards " change," the wind, at the
same time, blowing fresh from the western hemisphere,
chiefly from the north west. Some rain fell towards even-
ing, and angry-looking clouds showed themselves ; but it
again partially brightened up, and the mercury has not as
yet fallen so rapidly, or so much as to indicate a storm, of
which some persons were for a time apprehensive. Vege-
tation has progressed during the late atmospheric temper-
ature, but not so much as to excite any alarm about future
frosts. The wheat crops look well, and the grass-fields
are becoming delicately green.
UTTERING BASE COIN.—Two young women, Betsey
Gayner and Margaret Ellaines were, yesterday, charged
at the police-court with uttering and attempting to utter
base coin on Saturday evening. Superintendent Anders
said that he had watched Gayner on Saturday, and had
followed her through several streets into Great Homer-
street, where, on being stopped by him, she dropped six-
teen base sixpences, which she had held in her hand.
The other was soon after taken into custody. The super-
intendent watched her into the shop of Mr. Richard Crift,
in the same street, and on his going there, it appeared
that she had, in payment for a small quantity of cheese,
paid a bad sixpence of the same mould as the others, and
which Mr. Crift suspecting after she left the shop, had
marked, and put aside. It was also proved that the
prisoners lived together in the same room. They were
both sent for trial at the sessions.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.—On Saturday a female, named
Mrs. Newman, living in Booth-street, Spitalfields, Lon-
don, was amusing herself with her three children by drop-
ping some gunpowder into the fire, when a spark from the
grate alighted on the vessel containing the powder and the
whole exploded with a noise resembling the discharge of a
piece of ordnance. The children and their mother were
knocked down, and recived such dangerous injuries that
they have been removed to a hospital.
SCHOOLMASTERS IN TRIBULATION.—Among the peti-
tions on various subjects presented to the House of
Commons on Wednesday evening was one (presented by
Mr. Miles) from two persons in the county of Gloucester,
who had been parish schoolmasters for many years, and
who stated that they had given every satisfaction in the
discharge of their duties, complaining that they feared
dismissal by the Education Commissioners, on account of
their not being thoroughly conversant with English gram-
mar, and reading, writing, and arithmetic !
THE BISHOP OF EXETER.—On Saturday, in the Court
of Arches, Sir H. J. Fust delivered judgment on the pre-
liminary point raised in the cause instituted by the Rev.
G. C. Gorham v. the Bishop of Exeter, for having refused
to institute him to the living of Brampford Speke. The
question raised was whether or not the bishop had a right
to call on Mr. Gorham to undergo an examination rfter
the expiration of 28 days from the presentation of the
petition, and the judge has decided in favour of the bishop's
right to do so. The merits of the case are now being
gone into. A similar question has not been raised for
130 years.
EARLY CLOSING MOVEMENT IN THE CITY.—On Satur-
day, the majority of the most influential manufacturers
in the city of London closed their several places of busi-
ness at one o'clock in the day, in pursuance of a resolu-
tion passed at a numerous meeting of merchants and
others on the 31st of January last. The large warehouses
in Fridav-street, Watling-street, Cheapside, Alderman-
bury, and other places in the city, were entirely shut up
as on Sundays. The important effect of this new system
will be that the carrying trade, which, in consequence of
the late closing of the manufacturers, has hitherto been
conducted after eleven o'clock on Saturday nights, and
during a portion of Sunday, will now be completed at an
early hour on Saturday afternoon.
THE RECENT ROBBERY OF JEWELLERY.—It will be
recollected that a short time ago some person dressed as
a clergyman obtained a quantity of jewellery, valued at
£5OO, from Messrs. Lambert and Co., of Coventry-street,
London, by the ingenious ruse of ordering the property
to be sent to the Bishop of Winchester's residence, in
St. James's Square, for the inspection of the right rev.
prelate. It was presumed, from the cleverness and com-
pleteness of the robbery, that it had been accomplished
by some dexterous thief who had assumed the clerical
garb as the surest means of disarming suspicion. Since
the period of the robbery the police have been in search
of the successful thief. After much trouble, it is under-
stood that the police have obtained a clue to the perpe-
trator of the robbery, and ascertained that he is actually
a clergyman in orders, and rather noted for some consi-
derable railway speculations. The presumed thief is at
present in Wales, and though the police are prepared with
evidence, yet it is believed that no further steps will be
taken at present. About X-100 worth of the property, it
is said, has ben recovered.

A DETERMINED JUVENILE THlEF.—Yesterday, at Bir-
kenhead, a youth about twelve years of age, named Thos.
Rule, was placed before William Hall and J. S. Jackson.
Esqrs., on a charge of stealing a loaf from a shop in
Grange-lane. The prisoner hail been in custody before
for a similar offence, and was discharged on his father
undertaking to punish and try to reclaim him. Mr.
Salter, superintendent of the Market, stated that the boy
was rather an intelligent one for his age, that he could
read and write well, and knew he was doing wrong, but
said he could not help it. Last week he first stole 11b. of
butter from a shop in the market. This was discovered,
and the butter returned. He then watched a man into a
shop, in Grange-lane, with a large loaf under his arm,
and when the man laid it down for the purpose of making
a purchase he made off with it and hid it in the market,
where he also concealed himself until it was closed. He
then got into one of the shops, lighted a fire, and enjoyed
himself during the night with sweetmeats he pilfered from
other shops. Just before daylight, however, he contrived
to escape through a hole, which the superintendent stated
was not larger than would admit a cat. On Saturday
night he was again found concealed in the market, and
handed over to the custody of the police. The Bench
sentenced him to fourteen days' imprisonment, and to be
once whipped.
CHEATING A POOR EMIGRANT OUT OF HIS MONEY.—
THE OLD DOCK TRICK REVlVED.—Yesterday, at the
Police-court, a soft looking, young countryman, named
John Blake, dressed in a blue smock-frock, and appa-
rently from the south of England, appeared against a
prisoner, named Thomas Lever, one of the old " knowing
ones," whose cunning of countenance formed quite a
contrast to the simplicity of that of his accuser. The
complainant said he had come to the town in order to take
his passage abroad, and, while sauntering about the quay,
the prisoner came up, and soon made acquaintance with
him, stating that he was himself from a southern county,
and was also going abroad. Eventually the complainant
was induced to accompany the prisoner to a public-house,
where, after drinking together, the latter pulled out a
pack f cards, and persuaded his dupe to try his fortune
at cutting—red and black. The complainant soon lost
two sovereigns in this way, and, suspecting he was cheated,
complained, upon which prisoner said that, if he would
play on, he would win more, and he pulled out some notes,
handing him two of them, and saying that he had £550
left to him by a near relative. The notes were, of course,
flash ones—not worth one farthing. While they were in
the public house, two others, accomplices, came in. The
prisoner was soon apprehended. and two of the notes were
produced. He is known as an old offender, and was com-
mitted for trial.

POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH SCOTLAND. I LATEST INTELLIGENCE FROM THE GOLD
REGIONS.
BY THE " CANADA," ARRIVED YESTERDAY.

The mercantile and trading community of this town and
Manchester have long borne the inconvenience arising
from the defective arraneements made by the post-office The excitement throughout the United States, and also
authorities for the transmission of letters northwards. At along the whole of the west coast of America, with respect
Present, in order to ensure the delivery of a letter on the to the gold discoveries in California, still continues in-
following morning in Edinburgh or Glasgow, it must be creasing ; and the accounts received by the last packet,
written and posted by half-past two o'clock in the day, as to the yield of the district, are even more startling than
just, as it may be presumed, as the correspondent is in the before, whilst the prospects held out to us of almost uni-
midst of negotiating transactions, a partial account only of versal rapine and confusion, are much softened, and in
which can thus he transmitted. If, anxious to forward a some accounts absolutely denied. We extract the following
whole instead of a half-day's transactions, the merchant from the New York Herald :
post his letters at night, he is foiled in the delivery, which " Extract from a let'
does not take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow until the paraiso, Nov. 30.—'
following afternoon, too late for the communication to be still continues.
rendered available in the business of those towns. It has last wrote, and a
thus been optional whether the " lost day" shall occur many passenger-
here or in Scotland. The

er received in t

a city, dated Val

Several expeditions have

re fitting out

one since we

lr ti san—s, mechanics, and

• G 7
in that land of promise. The Lanebayecano has arrived
thence with 570,000 in gold, having landed 5100,000 at
Payta, for shipment to the United States, via Panama."

" We have been shown private letters of
the Pacific coast, which give some nev
ligence in rel

ate date, from

and excitingintel-

California. They state that -.82,000,000 wcrth of the dust
was at San Francisco, waiting for transportation. The
greater part of it will probably be taken by the mail

c_mwr gracamrim.mt

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(BY EXPRESS.)

ROMAN STATES.
We have the following letter from our co:
Rome, dated the 9th :

dent at

" The Nationalls;embly met yesterday at one o'clock,
and, after some routine business bad heed transacted, tho
grand question of ' What form of government stinnlii ho
adopted for the Roman Sta
debate was characterised by
and lasted through the T
place, and 134

was en t

grave and earnest eloqt

be once more a commonwealth. The 20 in mini
vocated an admendment deferring the questior
meeting of the great Italian constituent body.
In the middle of the night the-result was f
,e notice of t'he slumbering citizens by the simu

pealicg of all the s

in Rome. The decree i

in the following terms

rid in point of right of all
Art. 2. Full and adequat
PnretifFle

cAercrse or ms spiritual sups
3. The government of thee? states shall be of a
cratic nature, and the "

)us name of Roman RepubliC

Hy arm goodwill, as befits oui'
(Signed) GALETTI,
President of the National Assem

Rome,