The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-31 00:00:00

. .
Tuesday next for America. It was intended by several of
his admirers to invite him to a public dinner on Monday,

but Mr. Dickens is unable to

ttend it—no doubt to the

great disappointment of his friends.
SAVAGE ASSAULT.—A stout young man, named Thos.
Foley, was yesterday charged at the Police-court with a

violent and Unprovoked assault on a youth named Richard
Bryan. It appeared that the prisoner, a corn-porter, had
Struck the complainant, knocked him down a cellar, and
broke the bone of his nose. The prisoner was required to

pay a fine of £5, or be imprisoned for two months. " Too
months!" shouted the prisoner contemptuously, as he left

the dock. Mr. Rushton called him back, and required him
to find sureties, giving 48 hours' notice, or to be further

imprisoned another month

STEALING AN UMBRELLA.—A young woman, named
Jane Ogden, was yesterday charged at the Police-court with
stealing all umbrella from a public-house in Manchester-
street. Mrs. \\Testa'', the complainant, said she had gone

into the house, where the prisoner and some other girls -were
standing at the counter. The prisoner went out, and she
missed her umbrella. An officer 'pursued her and found it

in her possession in the street

for trial

Tie prisoner was committed

THE FIRST SUBSCRIPTION CONCERT.—The first Sub-
scription Concert of the season takes place at the Theatre-
Royal, on Tuesday next. The subscribers are very nuuw-
eons this year. The reserved seats are almost all taken. On
Wednesday last the ballot for the " choice places" came off
at the Portico Room. The scene was occasionally most ani-

mated. The utmost anxiety appeared to he evinced by the

subscribers to obtain the best positions

—death-like stillness

occosionally prevailing, broken only by the rustling of the
ballot papers or the voice of the drawer of the superscriptions.

TR E LIVERPOOL CHESS CLUB.—The annual meeting of
the Liverpool Chess Club was held at the Clayton Arms
Botch on Monday last. The readers of the STANDARD are

already aware that our townsmen were the victors in a game

carried on by correspondence with the Armagh Chess Club.
.From the report read at the above meeting, it appears that a
second game with the same party, has advanced to the 17th
move, with no apparent advantage on either side. We be-

lieve the Chess Club of this town now counts a greater num-

ber-of members than any _ in_ the kingdom, with the single

exception of the St. George's Club in London

ASSAULT BY A CAR DRIVER.-At the Police-court yes-
terday, an elderly man, a car-driver for Mr. Davies, charged
Robert Thompson with a violent and unprovoked assault
upon him, a remarkably stout young man, also a car-driver,
named James Barnes. It appeared that the prisoner had
gone to the stable where the complainant was, and had made
three continuous assaults upon him, in one of which he broke

three of his ribs. Mr. Rushton remarked on the cowardly
conduct of the prisoner, a powerful man, to the comparatively
feeble and aged complainant, and fined bhp £5, or in default
to be imprisoned two months.

The attention of our readers is directed to the following
communication, addressed to Messrs. ROWLAND and SON,
20, Hatton-garden, London, (whose advertisement appears
in another column.) Leicester, 6, 1839.—Gentlemen,

—About two years ago I lost all my hair in consequence of a
fever, so that I was obliged to wear a wig • and being of an
advanced age and subject to head-aches, I felt great incon-
venience from the misfortune. In this state of things many
of my friends proposed to me divers remedies, none of which,
however, had any effect ; but at last I was induced to try
your MACASSAR OIL, which in a short time quite restored
my locks, so that I have now a remarkably good head of hair
for one of my declining years.—l am, gentlemen, your most
indebted and obedient servant, WILLIAM SHEPHERD.
FACTION FIGHTING AT THE NORTH-END OF THE TOWN.

—Yesterday, at the police-court, a youth, named Robert
Stewart, was charged by another, George Morecroft, with
having, on Sunday last, violently struck him, and with hav-
ing finally kicked out his left eye. The complainant appeared
with his head bandaged, and said he had entirely lost his eye
from the violence used towards him. The affray took place
in Green-street North. Mrs. Morecroft, his mother, told
a similar story.—The prisoner, a carter, said that he and his
friends were the parties assailed in the first instance, and that
they had only defended themselves—their lives being in dan-
ger. Mrs. Morecroft had, on Sunday morning last, chal-
lenged him out to fight her for a gallon
.of ale in a field. He
did not accept of the challenge, and she threw at him a half-
gallon jug, and afterwards a pint pewter measure. His wit-
nesses corroborated this, and added that the complainants
and their party were the aggressors. The evidence con-
nected the case with a second charge of assault, which the
same parties and others purposed to prefer against the pri-
soners and others, and that was consequently gone into. The
defendants, Mrs. Alice Carter, Benjamin Carter, and James
Robinson were then brought up, and evidence of a dark com-
plexion was given against them by Mrs. Morecroft and seve-
ral of her friends. The defence, however, turned the tables,
as it was proved that on the whole of the -day in question
(Sunday last), Mrs. Morecroft, who was connected with the
brick fields, was in a furious state of intoxication, had dared the
defendants to fight—herself stripped almost to nudity ; had
kept the neighbourhood in terror and alarm, had assaulted
the first defendant, and finally had brought up about a dozen
Irish labourers, armed with immense sticks, tongs, pokers.
&c., with which they laid about them without mercy. Mrs.
Carter's daughter was struck down and nearly killed, and
others were in danger of their lives from her violence, so that
some of them, who were Christmas visiters, did not dare to
leave the house they were in during the day.—Mr. Rushton
said that the complainants ought to have been brought before
him in place of the defendants, and particularly Mrs. More-
croft herself. He must dismiss the case; but he gave them
notice that if any further disturbance took place, he should
deal with them with the utmost severity.
EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF WATCH CASES, &c.—At the
Police-court, yesterday, a young man, named Thomas Price,
was placed at the bar on a charge of stealing a quantity of
watch cases, other valuables belonging to unfinished watches,
&c. William Lucas said he was an apprentice to his uncle,
Richard Lucas, a watch-case maker, who had his shop at
47, Cheapside. and also kept a public-house, No. 35, in the
same street. On Monday afternoon last he carried a box
from the shop to the public-house, containing 16 or 17 spil-
lets, 5 or 6 silver ingots, 21 silver watch cases, 19 case bot-
toms, 15 lever watch frames, 2 pieces of gold for bottoms, 1
silver scent-box, 12 pieces of silver wire, 1 piece of gold wire,
IS silver watch cases, 1 gold key, about 1 oz. of gold pen-
dants, and 2 gold watch cases. He put them under the table
in a back bedroom up stairs, and saw them all safe on Mon-
day night. The prisoner was his brother-in-law. lie left
him and a son of Mr. Lucas to take charge of the public-
house. When he came home he found the prisoner there,
and sent him to his sisters, in Pall Mall. He locked up the
house at 12 o'clock. Between eight and nine next morning
he missed the hox and all the property described. A little
before nine the prisoner came to the house, and he heard his
uncle ask him if he had seen any one go into his bedroom.
The prisoner said " No." Witness and his cousin after-
wards found three drawers in a midden, and a box and drawer
in another, behind the house. Information was given at the
police-office. On Wednesday afternoon Wm. Morton 'fink-
ler came to the house, and showed witness one silver skillet,
which he claimed. Yesterday morning he went to the police-
office, and saw all the property, excepting 1 oz. of gold pen-
dants, 1 key, and 1 piece of gold wire. The articles produced
he identified as his uncle's property. W. M. Tinkler, a
whitesmith, in Dale-street, said, that between seven and
eight o'clock on Tuesday morning, the prisoner came to his
shop with a bag, containing silver, and asked him to allow
him to leave it. Prisoner used to work with him, and said a
person had given it into his charge to endeavour to sell it
for him, and there was about £2 worth. Witness asked him
where he was the day before, and he said, " I was drunk at
Chester," and if anybody asks for me, you must say I have
not been here. Prisoner went away, and witness examined
the bag and its contents. He afterwards took one of the
skillets to Police-officer Ainsworth, and told him how it had
been left and by whom. Ainsworth and another officer
came, and so placed themselves that if the prisoner came for
the property he could give the signal. He gave the property
to Ainsworth. The latter confirmed this evidence, adding,
that the prisoner did not come for it. It appeared (though
not in evidence) that he was afterwards apprehended by the
officers. The prisoner was committed for trial at the sessions,

CAUTION TO GUARDS AND OTFIEILS ON.RAILWAYS.-011.

Tuesday last, William Davidson, one of the guards on the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, was brought before Mr.
Rushton on a charge of neglect of duty. Mr. Clay, the
solicitor, stated that he had been instructed by the directors

of that line of railway to prefer a charge against the prisoner,
who was one of their guards, for not having kept his proper 1
seat, and applied the break to the carriages when coming down
the tunnel into the station in Lime-street, on the morning of
Christmas day, by which neglect considerable damage had
been done to two of the company's carriages, and the mail
guard and one of the passengers had received some slight
injuries. The act of parliament under which the prisoner
was brought before the magistrate, was one for the general
regulation of railways, 3 and 4 Vic., c. 97, by the 13 sec.,
which it was enacted, that any engine-driver, guard, &c.,
upon any railway, who shall wilfully, maliciously, or negli-
gently do, or omit to do, any act, whereby the life or limb of
any person passing along the railway may be endangered or
injured, the person so offending may be taken before a justice
of the peace for the place where the offence is committed,
and may be committed to prison, to hard labour, for any
term not exceeding two calendar months, or may be fined
any sum not exceeding £lO, and in default of payment com-
mitted for the like period. From the evidence produced it
appeared that the York mail train, which arrived at five in
the morning, and of which the prisoner was the railway
guard, came down the tunnel with great velocity, the pri-
soner not being in his proper situation, and not applying the
break to the wheels ; the consequence was, a violent con-
cussion took place against two carriages in the station yard,
and considerable damage was done to them, as well as injury
received by the mail guard and, one of the passengers. It
fortunately happened that the train was a very small one,
there being only two carriages and three passengers, other-
wise the consequences might have been of a more serious
nature. Mr. Rushton, in pronouncing judgment, said the
case was one of so much importance to the public, that,
however he regretted the situation of the prisoner, (who had
an excellent character,) he considered he should not be
doing his duty if he did not inflict the severest penalty which
the law allowed, as a warning to all persons in similar situ-
ations to the prisoner, to be careful in the performance of
their several duties. He then ordered the prisoner to be
imprisoned and kept to hard labour, in the House of Cor-
rection at Kirkdale, for the space of two calendar months.
EXTRAORDINARY INSTINCT.—The following remarkable
, fact, connected with the death, or at least the discovery, of
the body of a man named Leoch, at Bredfield, is related in
the Si(ffiilk Chronicle:—The deceased, who resided at Ufford,
left the Castle public-house, at Bredfield, late at night, in-
toxicated, but in the company of two other persons with
whom he had been drinking, and who also lived at Ufford.
After a short time, however, they passed one another, the two
latter having stopped, thinking the deceased was before, and
their not overtaking him did not create any alarm but that all
was right with him. After an anxious night and part of next
day, lie not coming home, his daughter resolved to go in search
of him. Accordingly she set off for Petistree Tuns, but gain-
ing no tidings of him there, she determined upon going to
Bredford Castle, about two miles distant. She had not left
the Tuns long when she met a dog, a terrier, which displayed
great delight, as if it had met a person whom it had long known;
though it seemed perfectly good-natured, she was afraid of it,
and beat it from her, and kept it at a distance by stoning it.
and to no purpbse ; it still followed her till her arrival at the
Castle, at Bradfield, where, after learning the time and situ-
ation her parent had left there the night before, full of won-
der and fear as to what had become of him, she was about
retracing her steps home the way she had come, but her
companion was in waiting, and immediately ran on, continu-
ing the direction they had come, instead of following her as
before, which attracted her particular attention, and induced
her to follow it. Whsn it ran down a drift leading to a foot-
path to Ufford, by the side of which is a ditch, it suddenly
stopped, making a-dead point, and stood firm in that posi-
tion until the young woman came to the spot, when, on look-
ing into the ditch, she discovered the body of her father ex-
tended at the bottom, partly covered with water. She im-
mediately gave an alarm, and the body was removed to the
public-house to await the issae of the coroner's inquest. The
young woman went home, attended by her faithful com-
panion, where it has ever since remained, showing the great-
est attachment to the place and the family of the deceased.
A most mysterious feature in this singular case is, that no
one knows the dog, to whom it belongs, or from whence it
came, although it has been seen by many persons since, for
the purpose of identifying it.

CORRESPO-NDENCB.

SOUP FOR THE POOR.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sm,--Having observed that the soup kitchens are again
opened in three parts of the town, under the former regula-
tions, permit me, through your journal (in which great at-
tention is paid to local subjects), to suggest to the committee
the making and dispensing, in lieu of the present soup, of a
meat and vegetable broils (of which I have sent you a sample),
which I find can be furnished at a smaller cost, and which is
not only much more palatable and nutritive, but would un-
doubtedly be more acceptable to the poor, as it partakes more
of the character of substantial English fare. In order to elu-
cidate my proposition, I proceed to contrast the materials
now used at the soup establishments with those suggested.

TI E PRESENT SOUP.
Ingredients for making 100 gallons

Barley. Rice. Oatmeal. Sago. Treacle. Pimento. Salt.
lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. lb.
60 26 30 12 14 6
or 50 35 35 14
Directions are given for the preparation, by which it appears
that " the most important point is in mashing and boiling
well." It appears to me, however—without wishing, in any
degree, to disparage the intentions and labours of the benevo-
lent individuals who conduct and suppOrt these establish-
ments—that, with all possible attention to mashing and boil-
ing, the most cunning cook who ever managed a kitchen can
make no more out of such materials than a moderately palat-
able and thickish gruel. Rice, per se, is at the best an insi-
pid grain ; barley, and oatmeal, and sago are little more at-
tractive to the palate, and require something stronger in fla-
vour than treacle, pepper, and salt to render them very ac-
ceptable. A combination of treacle and salt appears, more-
over, to be rather incongruous ; and the necessity for sweet-
ening by the former justifies my designation of the whole,—
which, though good in itself, appears to be suited more
exclusively to the young and the sick, than to the mass of the
destitute, many of whom are healthy and hungry, and require
something more solid to enable them to pursue any laborious
job or occupation that may fall in their way. It has, more-
over, a tendency in some " patients" to relax the bowels and
produce weakness. This soup, lam informad at one of the
establishments, costs nearly lid. a quart, and is sold for -id.
The most costly article is the sago, about 6d. per lb. ; and
next the treacle, which is sd. a lb.

THE PROPOSED SOUP, OR RATHER BROTH

What I propose, as a substitute for the soup just noticed,
is a strong broth, made of beef, barley, and vegetables ; and
I trust that I shall be enabled to show, by sufficiently correct
data, that this can be made at a cost of something under Id.
a quart. My principal and strengthening ingredient is cow's
bead and bough (or stew) ; and as these cannot be purchased
in precise weights, being sold in the lump, I must begin with
one cow's head and one hough, together with the other pro-
posed ingredients, and show what they will produce, in order
to make out my case. A cow's head, I should premise, will
weigh from 12 to 14 lb: of meat, that is exclusive of the bone;
a hough on the average will weigh. (in meat alone) from 12
to 16 lb. One of each, used together, will make better broth
than two of either.

For 80 quarts of broth. a. d
One cow's bead (outside retail price)
One bough
10 lbs. of barley..
2 lbs. of oatmeal ...... (ditto) at lid.
Nibs. of carrots
10 lbs. of turnips (or thereabouts) not sold by weight 0 3
Cabbage, leeks, celery tops, parsley, salt, and pepper 0 4

6 9
Deduct for sale of bones, about 12 lbs. at id..... 0 6

The odd pence may be knocked off, as in large purchases
the abatements will more than exceed that fractional amount.
We have here, then, 80 quarts of meat-broth for six shillings,
or 400 quarts—that is 100 gallons—for thirty shillings; or
considerably under one penny a quart. It is strong, thick,
and palatable, and will jelly when cold. The weight of the
materials for 100 gallons is nearly as follows :
Barley
Oatmeal
Carrots
.Turnips
Cabbage, leeks, and other pot-herbs
Meat, when boiled down without bone, say 35 „
Dry barley, &c., about . 5 V,

140 lbs.
Besides the nutritive marrow, Sze., from the bones, which will
mellow the pot-herbs. and render the whole fit to be eaten
with potatoes by those who have them. The weight of the
whole of the materials in the present rice, barley, and oat-
meal soup is nearly the same, being 143 lbs., or 3 lbs. more,
but not nearly so nutritive. The whole of the meat in the
broth I recommend is to be distributed in as equal proportion
as possible along with it; the harder pieces, that do not
dissever in boiling, being cut into small pieces. The broth
may, of course, be made stronger by a little more meat, or a
little less water.

To make the broth.—Wash and clean the heads well, but
do not soak them so as to bleach them and reduce their
strength and flavour. The houghs require no cleaning; but
the bones must be well broken. Put the meat into the
coppers over• night with a slow fire. In the morning add the
barley and pot-herbs, and let all boil for three or four hours.
Half an hour before the broth is ready, add the oatmeal, and
season to the palate. The coppers to be cleaned out every
day, and if any broth is left over, add it to the new just
before it is ready. _

I may add, Sir, that I believe many of the master butchers
and stall-keepers would contribute heads, houghs, or the
coarser boiling pieces of beef (which are equally good) for the
making of such broth for the poor.. Squires and farmers
would also contribute vegetables. If a trial be made, as a
change from the present soup, I will myself undertake to find
some materials in this way; and a female friend will gladly
superintend the first " brew" at any of the establishments.
the present boilers in which will be quite suitable for the
purpose. 1 am, &c.,
MEDICUS.
[* We have partaken of the soup. and can declare it fit—if
not to " put before a queen "—at any rate so good, that
any subject might fervently hope never to have worse fare.
The soup is evidently very nutritive, and the flavour ex-
cellent. We hope the above valuable suggestions will
meet with the attention their merits deserve.—E. L. S.]

DR. HOOK VERSUS THE NINETEENTH
ARTICLE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

SlR,—The Liverpool Mail of last Saturday contains at-
tracts from Dr. Hook's Church Dictionary, and from a
speech delivered by him at Leeds, and regarded by the editor
as a sound exposition of church principles.
As these extracts appear in a Puseyite Journal we may
fairly assume their accuracy.
Persons who extol the Vicar of Leeds as a sound church-
man will do well to compare his definition of the church with
that contained in our nineteenth article, for the comparison
must convince them on what a slight foundation his church-
manship rests. To assist them in doing this I will place the
two definitions in juxta position.
OF THE CHURCH ACCORDING TO
Dr. Hook's Church Dic.. The Nineteenth Article.

tionary.
The Catholic Church has The visible Church of Christ
the Lord Christ for its found- is a congregation of faithful
er ; its prescribed form of ad- men, in the which the pure
mission is the holy sacrament 'Word of God is preached,
of baptism ; its constant badge and the Sacraments be
of membership is the holy sa- duly ministered according to
crament of the eucharist ; its Christ's ordinance in all those
peculiar dutiesare repentance, things that of necessity are
faith, obedience ; its peculiar requisite to the same.

.
privileges, union with God
through Christ its head, and
thereby forgiveness of sins,
present grace, and future
glory ; its officers are bishops
and priests, assisted by dea-

cons; in regular succession

from the Apostles, the first

Constituted officers of this

body corporate

It has the

Bible for its code of laws, and

a divine tradition for, pre-
cedents to aid its officers in
the interpretation of that

code on disputed points.
Thus, in defining the church, Dr. Hook differs from the
article in two respects, viz., in matter of omission and in
matter of addition. He differs in matter of omission, by
being altogether silent as to the necessity of preaching the
pure Word of God ; whilst in the way of addition, without
any-sanction from this or the other articles, he contends for
episcopacy and apostolical succession as badges of the true
church, (a doctrine which cannot be supported even by as-
suming that the twenty-third article must be taken conjointly
with the nineteenth, in order to obtain a correct definition of
the church,) and he asserts the existence of a divine tradition
to aid the officers of the church in interpreting the Bible.
I pause to inquire whether these premises do not warrant
the inference that the Doctor esteems tradition (seeing he '
asserts its divine origin) to be of equal authority with the
Scriptures, and denies the right of private judgment, since it
is only the officers of the church (meaning thereby the
bishops, priests, and deacons) who are aided by tradition in
the interpretation of the Word of trod ; consequently it would
appear presumptuous in the laity. excluded from such teach-
ing, to determine the meaning of those Scriptures, which the
clergy cannot understand without its assistance.
Simple-minded persons, forming their opinion of Dr.
Hook by the extract from the speech before referred to, will
hardly expect, that, in a volume prepared with all the care
and deliberation usually bestowed on works intended for pub-
lication, the Doctor would differ so widely from those very
articles which, according to that extract, he ardently ad-
mires. They require to be reminded that the articles ex-
pressly recognise the importance of the ordinance of preach-
ing, and do not, by any definition relating to mere matters of
discipline, exclude from the visible church the established
religion of Scotland, and other denominations of Protestants,
whilst Puseyites and the (so styled) High Churchmen under-
value the labours of the pulpit, attach an importance not
warranted by Scripture to episcopacy and apostolical succes-
sion, and, in effect, raise tradition to a level with the Written
Word.
In contending with Romanists and Dissenters Dr. Hook
gladly avails himself of the assistance supplied by the liturgy
and the articles, but when writing with the apparent object
of instructing members of the Church of England he scorns
to employ the definitions given in the articles, and is at no
pains to conceal the utter variance of his sentiments from
those very articles to which, as Vicar of Leeds, he solemnly
and publicly declared his assent.
Dr Hook is a churchman in one sense, but that the worst
sense—a churchman, 1 had almost said, as opposed to a
Christian, displaying more zeal for the church than for
Christ. Some (not to say all) of his published sermons,
speeches, and pamphlets have a tendency so to exalt the
church as virtually to conceal the Saviour.—Yours,
A LAYMAN OF THE ORTHODOX OR EVAN-
GELICAL CHURCH OF ENGLAND.
Liverpool, 29tli Dec., 1841.

THE NEW POOR-LAW IN LIVERPOOL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sia,—As the present moment seems to be a seasonable
one for so doing, I venture to offer a few observations to our
town's people, through your sterling columns, with reference
to the obtaining of a local act, (already, I believe, in the
course of preparation,) in exclusion of the new poor-law,
recently introduced here, from Liverpool.
The new law is known to the public more by its effects
than its provisions—more by its working than by its letter.
Not to go further in detail, there are three great, unpleasant
features observable in its operations by which they know it—
from the new disclosed appearance of which they wish they
had never known it; features so discreditable to it as to
cause a general wish for its removal, if not from every place,
at least from among ourselves.
We may be assured the law is a bad one that fails to pro-
duce the ends for which it was enacted. The first poor •law in
England was enacted to the end that no poor person should
die in the streets for want. The new law is an improvement
on the first; and if we are to believe accounts, which seem
too numerous, and too respectably attested to be false, under
its existence many poor persons do die in the streets for
want ; therefore, the new law is a bad one. Parochial legis-
lation has always been a difficult thing; many abuses have
obtained under the best enactments, and many still obtain ;
but apparent abuses ought not to suggest unnecessary re-
strictions, or liability to abuse to- be considered deficiency.

It does not foljow, that because some men steal all m

dishonest ; and it does notfollow, that because there are ha-
postors among persons that are poor that there cannot be
any poor person who is an impostor. It does not follow,
that because some persons dare to swear falsely that all are
perjured who take an oath. Yet, by the framers of the new
law, who, for the purpose of being on the safe side. have
arranged it so, that the evil and the good, the vicious and the'
virtuous, are to be dealt with alike.

For example, because some persons have obtained pecu-
niary out-door relief, under false pretences, the 'workhouse
must be converted into a kind of debtor's prison for all the
parish poor. This, the first unpleasant feature by which the
public recognise the new law ; it seems to take for granted
that poor people have no right to breathe the air of liberty
outside of certain walls. Things are shown best by contrast,
and here is a subject for a contrast. Formerly, many thou-
sands of our necessitous in this parish were relieved by the
overseers at the rate of -a few shillings per week ; this relief,
we suppose, was insufficient for anything like a competent
maintenance, but it afforded them, during its continuance,
" half a meal, and liberty ;" and their own exertions super-
added to it, eked out a little more ; the widowed female in-
creased her scanty allowance by her employment as a laun-
dress, a charwoman, a sempstress, or schoolmistress ; and
the male portion of the poverty-stricken augmented theirs by
some trifling, but ill-paid, labour ; all this was Christian-like
and pleasant; imposition was seldom or ever heard of; if it
had, the vigilance of visitors soon effected its detection. But,
under the new law lately introduced, it is said out-door relief
is to be done away with ; there is no room to be left for the
poor to employ themselves, or to make any attempt at bet-
tering their condition ; all alike are to be crowded into that
improvement of prison masonry, and prison regulation,
within whose spacious area husbands and wives, parents and
children, brothers and sisters, exist as separate relations ;
and all this because some persons have obtained out-door
relief heretofore by false representations.
I do not wish to designate our present workhouse by any
of the foregoing epithets,—it has always been excellent
among workhouses, and none of these refinements of cruelty
have ever disgraced it, that I am aware of.
Another example; because some persons dare to swear
falsely, all persons are perjured by taking an oath ; this is the
second unpleasant feature in the new law, and it is illustrated
by the letting any violating ruffian go unpunished, while any
poor, weak, simple victim of seduction, rendered, perhaps,
parentless, friendless, and houseless, is compelled to support
and to maintain the unfortunate fruit of her transgression,
where, in many instances, through the misfortune, she is
rendered incapable of maintaining herself; here is a premi-
um for the ravisher—here is an of*. for libertinism. A
father is not compelled to support his own child ! Surely it
only requires to be nationally known to be nationally dis-
gusting. Well may we hear of the secret places of the city
being furnished with dead infants. Well may the lake, and
the canal—well may the Thames, and the Serpentine, afford
subjects for the inquest of the coroner!
The last example, and the third unpleasant feature in the
new law is, its provision for the peremptory collection of the
poor's rate :--when the guardians want money they must go
to the churchwardens ; if the churchwardens have received
none, they must, where the occasion is urgent, levy a dis-
tress on them: consequently the rate must be collected at
the point of a bayonet, that the churchwardens may not be
sacrificed, that is, summoned, and distress warrants must be
the order of the day. Surely our late legislators never read
the paragraphs in the newspapers respecting the state of
trade. Was they looking forward to the banishing of poverty
entirely by their contemplated fixed duty of eight shillings a
quarter on foreign wheat, taking the place of the sliding
scale? Did they imagine that when the reform bill became
a law, any cotton mill could be closed, auy manufactory
cease to diffuse employment, or that any person could go
into the gazette without a full pocket ? Surely they did.
Surely then they arc qualified to instruct us, that when thou-
sands of men are thrown out of subsistence at Leigh, at
Chorley, at Bolton, or anywhere else, the shopkeepers and
publicans, amongst whom their wages money was known to
circulate, can pay the poor's rate as well as ever they did ;
nevertheless, this supposes another absurdity. Some say
they won't pay it if they can help it ; therefore, those that
will pay it, and those that won't, must be terrified out of it
alike. So the new law concoctors seem to have reasoned,
and so the new law manifests its efficiency by its defaults,
its perfection by its imperfections.
The compass of the present letter will be a sufficient in-
fraction on space, at all times valuably occupied, in excision
of other particulars; therefore, having named a few things,
I have to hope that reflection will not slumber as to those
remaining things necessarily omitted ; but which are equally
unjust and equally oppressive.
How long shall we rejoice in giving pain by summonses
and distress warrants ?—how long shall our poor brothers and
sisters in adversity be unpitied and unprotected ?—how long
shall their cries ascend a vengeance cry to God ?—how long
shall suicide and murder be forced on those

" Who loved not wisely, but too well ?"

Where are our country's patriots ?—where are our Christian
philanthropists ?—where are our guardian powers of inno
cence ?

" Is not some smiling hour at hand,
With peace upon its wings ?
Give it, oh God, thy swift command,
With all the joys it brings."
_

We have no room for despair. Those that love Liverpool's
houses of mercy are yet alive, and their heart-burnings are
great for the suffering needy ; in whose memories their short
and simple annals are unforgotten •' in whose utterance the
advocacy of their cause is ever found. England's water walls
and wooden bulwarks yet gird in a nation of Protestants, one
of the glories of whose achieved reformation was legislation
for the poor, and we may not be discouraged. The charity
which begins at home is already at work, in preparing a local
act for ourselves. Once obtained here, our sister towns Will
follow our example, and, finally, the new law, if it does not
become an entire dead letter in the country, may, at the fur-
thest, be confined to those few districts in Great Britain in
which its operations can be alone tolerated. Let this, then,
in the absence of a more perfect production, bespeak the at-
tention of the influential of our good old town to the proposed
measure for its exclusion hence.—l remain, Mr. Editor,
your's, most respectfully, C.
Bridgetvaler-street, Dec. 29th, 1811.

P.S.—My old signature of a Conservative having become
another writer's property, I am obliged to be contented with
an initial.

AMERICA AND THE SLAVE•TRADE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

I trust, Mr. Editor, that you will give me credit for sin-
cerity when I state, that I am not actuated by any ill feeling
towards the United States, in making the following few re-
marks on that portion of the President's late message to
Congress, in which he treats of the inhuman traffic in our
fellow-men.

Admitting as he does, that " the American flag is grossly
abused by the abandoned and profligate of other nations,"
is not that circumstance an imperative reason why the right
of search should be rigorously exercised ? Great Britain
and the other powers, who have recently formed, a noble
coalition in favour of the much-injured negro, are fully jus-
tified in asserting that right, as the American government
are now notoriously unable (or unwilling) to prosecute, with

t►he necessary vigour, the measures requisite for coercing
their subjects, or those professing to be such, into an aban-
donment of the vitiations slave-trade. With a revenue in-
sufficient to meet their expenditure, supplies are called for
to provide a larger naval protection for their extensive ma-
ritime frontier ; and with several of the states on the verge
of, if not actually in, a state of insolvency, can it be reason-
ably anticipated that this is the period when they will (to
use a mild term) arouse from their apathy on this subject ?
I fear not. In the meantime, all right-thinking men will
feel convinced that England is fully justified in carrying out
her present measures for the suppression of the vile traffic.

-~--

THE RADICALS AND THE PARISH-OFFICE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SlR,—The radical press are very prompt in announcing
the dismissal of a collector or a clerk from the Parish-office,
(they being tories); but I do not recollect them putting the
question—Why was the treasurer's own son dismissed some
three months ago ? I suppose they were fearful of losing the
printing, so nicely dealt out amongst them by that function-
ary.—l am, sir, ONE OF YOUR READERS.

THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUERS

We have received from Mr. Oastler an impression of the
number of the Fleet Papers which will be published to-mor-
row. In this publication .Mr. Oastler proves, from the most
incontrovertible evidence, that in 1834, when there was dis-
tress enough to melt hearts of stone, the leaguers showed
no sympathy with the starving victims of manufacturing op-
pression, but .because this distress had not reached them-
selves, they chose to represent the manufacturing operatives
as prosperous and happy. At that period Mr. Oastler showed,
before a committee of the House of Commons, the real state
of things ; and in the paper before us he republishes his evi-
dence. His testimony gave rise to a controversy, and was
proved to be true. Mr. Oastler then proceeds as follows :
" Do you ask me why I re-publish these sayings of mine ?
I answer, it is useful, now, to remind you, as well as the
leaguers, that when misery thus abounded in our neighbour-
hood, because it had not reached their " order," they were
not only silent, but, on the contrary, informed the govern-
ment. (and thus deceived you, and made you think that I
was mistaken), " that the manufacturing districts were in a
state of great prosperity." The leaguers now, forsooth, lay
claim to humanity—where was their pity then ? It was
shown by friend Ashworth sending to Chadwick, for your
" surplus" population, to reduce still further the wages of
these poor hand-loom weavers ! representing that the manu-
facturers were short of hands (whilst thousands were walking
the streets and lanes, " because no man had hired them"),
and that the manufacturing districts were a modern Goshen !
In consequence of those lies, (they were nothing less,) hun-
dreds of the Queen's honest and industrious subjects have
since been murdered ! Those murders were perpetrated by
law, under the system of migration, which was suggested by
those two eminent leaguers, Ashworth and Greg.
" There was the corn-law then, as now—corn was not very
high priced ; wheat was I believe, 465. to 50s. per quarter—
still, there was all that misery ! But, when I published that
true account of the destitute condition of the manufacturing
operatives in my own neignbourhood, who are the parties
that then found fault with me for publishing those facts?
Shame to tell it, but it is true—they were those very persons
who now pretend to feel so keenly for the noor, and are raving
mad about distress'—the anti-corn-law Leaguers ! They
yelled at me like mad men. No name was too bad for them
to give me—and. why ? Because they then thought that they
were snaking large profits by that misery. and they wished
to hush its moan! They could not afford to be ' honest,'
then, though out of office.' When I told them, as I often
did, THAT THEIR TURN WOULD COME NEXT!' they gnashed
their teeth at me, and wished a bullet through my heart !'
Those were their very words.—How many of them are now
fallen from their high estate, and sunk into nothingness,
having become the victims of their own pet system, free trade,
whilst its jaws are wide open to receive the rest. I remember
well, in 1834-5, when that most excellent man, John Fielden,
Esq., M.P., himself a large mill-owner and a most extensive
manufacturer, told the parliament of the great distress among
the manufacturing operatives, and proved that thousands
were living upon 24d. per day,!' Oh, yes, I cannot forget
how these very leaguers then abused and attempted to ridicule
that good man, and how they set their press to insult me."

We are surprised that there can be complaints in any quar-
ter of a scarcity of money, when it is announced, that Ten
Thousand a Year may now be had at all the booksellers.
DARING ROBBERIES AND BURGLARIES.—We find that
daring robberies and burglaries continue to be perpetrated
in quick succession, in lonely spots throughout the county.
A gang of ruffians at Bacup have been particulary active.
It is stated that on one night within the last fortnight, not
less than five burglaries were committed in that neighbour-
hood. The latest exploit of this gang was on Monday night,
or about two o'clock on Tuesday morning, when the farm-
house occupied by Messrs. Rothwell, two bachelors, was at-
tacked by three armed men, who fired nine shots through
the windows, one of which grazed the side of one of the oc-
cupiers. One of them afterwards forced an entrance into
the house, proceeded to the bedroom, and threatened to
shoot Messrs. Rothwell, if they did not instantly give him
what money they had in their possession. This fellow hal
a belt round his waist, from which three pistols were sus-
pended. There, were only is. 6d. in the house ; and this,
together with Messrs. Rothwells' watches, he carried off.
His confederates kept guard on the outside, while he was
ransacking the interior. The house is situated in Lower
Stack, a lonely place about half a mile from Bacup.