The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-06-08 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

A correspondent, who addresses us on the intended removal of
the Postotlice, suggests that, for the accommodation of the
public, the Theatre-Royal, in Williamson-square, one of the
most central sites, and the most easily accessible in-the busy
and populous parts of the town, should be purchased. The
structure,. he says, is architecturally neat, and would require
only interior alterations to render it suitable for the purpose.
It has,"moreover, a tine open area in front, removed from all
great thoroughfares, and is considerably nearer to Castle-
street than is Lime-street, while, at the same time, it is at no
great distance from the Railway Station. The site would,
however, beopen to the same objections as those stated in
the memorial, alluded to elsewhere, of the merchants against
the removal to Lime-street.
The Letter of "A Protestant" was received too late, but if it
were prudent, we could prove to him that the apstlct of
which he complains, is not so wide-spread as he imagines.
Several notices to correspondents were accidentally omitted
from our peper last week. We may therefore unintentionally
have giros cffnce to several parties.
A note on the water question has been left at oar office for

as T. R.,,
T.B.—The place of meeting is in Hunter-street; but we cannot
say if there is any day for assembting together except F:unday.

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

The circulation of the STANDARD is now greater
than that of any Conservative journal in Liver-
pool, and we think we may add, of any provincial
Protestant paper in England. The high respecta-
bility of its readers has always been acknowledged.
-TVithin the last twelve months, our advertisements
have increased nearly one hundred per cent.

CM: kitaTpaat ;•:-•,tanbarb.

Yearly Subscription :
In Advance, His. On Credit, 15E.

TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 8, 1847.

A serious question is just now occupying the
attention of this community—no less than the
question,—" Who are to be the representatives for
Liverpool in the next parliament ?" The merely
Conservative portion of the community appear to
be at a dead lock. The accustomed organization is
gone. The party is split up ; the watchwords, un-
der which they have rallied in former times, have
become empty and meaningless sounds. The most
prominent, heretofore, in electioneering matters,
are sunk in lathargy ; and those, who are still dis-
posed to make a fight for the good old cause, are
at a loss to know where to place their hands upon
a man to put forward for its defence. Such is the
sad havoc which backsliding expediency-mongering
has created amongst us.
We are happy to know, however, that we have
yet a hope to lean upon ; that we are not in such
very imminent danger of seeing the representation
of our loyal and Conservative town thrown into
the hands of Whig Radical or apostate men. The
Protestant spirit of Liverpool is up—that spirit
-which enabled us to win our past victories at the
'hustings, and to strike such heavy blows against
the advancing tide of infidelity and political latitu-
dinarianism. By its energetic effect, we trust yet to
disappoint the expectations of our jeering oppo-
nents, and to see our town, as of old, represented
by men who honestly and entirely reflect the opi-
nions and feelings of the mass of the constituency.
Already several influential meetings have been held,
with a view to the selection of fitting candidates
and the arranging of the necessary preparations
for a struggle. At present, it would be premature
to give any details. We can, however, promise our
readers that two unexceptionable Conservatives
will be brought forward, care being taken above all
things that they are sound and staunch Protes-
tants ; and that there is every prospect of a suc-
cessful issue.

Whilst upon this subject, we may notice a
wrong impression which has got abroad, caused
by the mis-reporting of a passage of the lecture of
the Rev. Dr. M‘Neile, on Tuesday last. The rev.
lecturer is made, by a Saturday's contemporary,
to say—

" If there be a large section of the town that wants a man
to represent them, well, let us have fair play, and let us
have peace and quietness. lam going to take upon me a
great proposal,—that two respectable men, varying in
politics, but one of them, at least, determined for Pro-
testantism, shall be sent to parliament without a con-
test. Let our Reformers and our. Conservatived, as they
call themselves agree in this matter. Let them each have
a respectable, high-conditioned, and competent man to
represent their interests; and let the Conservatives have
,a Protestant man. It would be well, indeed, if both were
Protestants. And why should not it be! Why should
we suppose that the Reformers in this town, or in the
country, are opposed to Protestantism ? Why should we
suppose they are such great fools as to be duped with an
appearance of liberty of conscience, which is only a pre-
lude to universal persecution ?"

The inference to be drawn from this is, of course,
that Dr. M`Neile asks only, on behalf of the Con-
servative party, for one Protestant, whereas we
apprehend nothing could be further from his wish.
In another column we give a report of the lecture,
containing our reporter's correct version of the
passage in question, which we here repeat :

" If there be a large section of the town that wants a man
to represent them, well, let us have fair play, and let us
have peace and quietness. lam going to take upon me
a great proposal—that two respectable men varying in
politics, but at one and determined for Protestantism
shall be sent to Parliament, without a contest. Let our
Reformers and our Conservatives, as they call themselves,
agree in this matter. Let them each have a respectable,
high-conditioned, and competent man *to represent
their secular interests, but as far as Protestantism is
concerned, both Conservatives indeed. And why not both
Protestants I Why should we suppose that the Reformers
in this town or in this country, are opposed to Protest-
antism ? Why should we suppose they are such great
fools as to be duped with an appearance of liberty of con-
science, which is only a prelude to universal persecution."
The difference between the signification of the two
versions will be seen at once; and the latter one
certainly must be admitted to agree best with the
context.

THE Legislature will inevitably have shortly to
take some steps to protect the lives of her Majesty's
subjects who travel by railways. A fortnight ago,
we had to record an accident, attended with a la-
mentable loss of life, caused by the falling of a
bridge upon the river Dee, at Chester. To-day we
have to record a still more disastrous occurrence at
Wolverton, caused by a train of passenger carriages
running into a train of lumber carriages placed in
a siding. The one has occupied, for some time, the
attention of a coroner's jury, and scientific men of
all grades have given their testimony ; the other,
doubtless, will do so forthwith, In the first case,
the evidence offered has been directed to the object
of exonerating the Company from any blame,
arising from the mal-construction of the fallen
bridge ; in the second, the conduct of the party,
whose duty it was to see that the " point" was
properly adjusted, after the luggage waggons had
been driven into the siding, will doubtless be the
chief matter to consider.
It really does strike us, however, that the time
has come when something snore satisfactory to the
-public than these inquiries, after the mischief has
been done, must be attempted. What is the worth
of the present sham kind of inspection by Govern-
ment officers of railways about to be opened ?
Positively nothing. General Pasley, or some other
party, may come down from London ; be taken in
a kind of triumphal procession along a line ; get
out of his carriage and take a survey of a bridge
or a viaduct, with an engineer and directors to tell
him everything about the span of this arch,
the solid contents of this pier, the number of piles
that have been driven for a foundation, the weight
of girders, and the cost at which the whole has
been put together; but what does General Pasley,
or any other government engineer, whose decision
has to intimate to the public whether they may
safely risk life and limb upon a railway, know about
the matter after all ? The pier of a bridge may be
a mere piece of hollow brick or stone work, filled
up with rubble stones and sand ; the mortar with
which it is put together may be more like sand and
water than lime ; the foundation may be quicksand,
and the work in all save its outside finish mere
rubbish for all that General Pasley, or any other
man, who merely inspects when finished, can
detect.

There are some matters connected with the Ches-
ter accident, which are suggestive of very serious
bridge was
considerations for the public.
passed by the Government Inspector The on
the
22nd
of October last as being safe. And that officer's
evidence is, now, that --
" It has been stated that one of the girders on this
has been replaced by a new one. This circumstances line was
never reported to Government, and I did not know it till
lately. And that circumstance, in connection with another
failure now, induces me to believe, that the girders are
only on the very verge of safety ; that the bridge is on the
cast of a die between safety and danger."
Of course we cannot say whether it is the case, or
not, that one of the girders of the bridge in ques-
tion has been, as is here insinuated, surreptitiously
replaced by a new one ; but it is a startling fact
that, notwithstanding the inspection which was to
have protected us, the public have for months past
been travelling overa bridge the girders of which, as
is stated, " are only on the verge of safety," whilst

the bridge itself is, according to this evidence, " on
the cast of a die between safety and danger,"
The fact, we believe, is not to be denied, that
the security of the bridge has . been doubted for
some time. Mr. Morelli, the agent to the con-
tractor, says in his evidence before the coroner, "I
have heard reports repeatedly that it was insecure ;"
and the deflection caused by the trains passing over
it appears to have been noticed by several parties.
The admission, too, of General Pasley, if the
bridge was to be constructed as formerly, he would
not pass over it" shows forcibly that somewhere
there has been a sad error of judgment.
Upon one point we must express our cordial
agreement with the opinion of Mr. Locke, that
much blame is attributable to the Admiralty, the
Board of Trade, and the Commissioners of Rail-
ways, who insist upon the bridges of railways over
rivers, suspected of being made navigable, being
of such immense span, thereby increasing greatly
their cost and decreasing their security. No man
in his_ senses, except, perhaps, some benighted
native of the ancient city, ever expects to see a
vessel above the size of a flat sailing up the Roodee
at Chester. Yet to gratify an absurd local vanity,
thousands have already been expended uselessly
upon this very bridge, and life has been sacrificed
in an abortive attempt to construct it in such a
plan as to be practically useful.
The precise cause of the Wolverton accident, and
the quarter in which the blame of it rests, we are
as yet unacquainted with. At present, the points-
man is the party suffering the odium and responsi-
bility. Should it turn out that the imputation is
correct, and that this unhappy person has failed in
the due performance of his duties, the public have
still a right to ask whether their lives are to be
submitted to the hazard of an under official neg-
lecting that due attention to an important office,
which they have a right to see paid. It is .very
generally understood that such men are not the
best remunerated men amongst the staff a railway
company ; and the duties, though not severe, are
rather too incessant. Economy in such matters,
if not consistent with the safety of the public,
cannot be too severely reprehended.

Our. columns this day record the fate of further
victims to the pestilence which the condition of
Ireland is entailing upon us. Another and another
estimable life is weekly sacrificed ; and where the
evil is to stop none can tell. One thing, however,
is tolerably clear to us, viz., the fact that the com-
munity have a duty to perform towards that devo-
ted body of men—the surgeons of Liverpool—
who are thus daily risking life in the effort to save
life, and to preserve the health of the community.
We must take care that these gentlemen, as well
as the officers, who are employed to dispense relief
to the Irish poor in their own wretched homes,

and amongst-whom also death has been busy, are
adequately remunerated; and it is perhaps not going
beyond justice if we add also that some provision
should be made, atthe public expense, for thc se whom
they leave by their death widowed and fatherless.
The remuneration at present given both to the
medical men and the relieving officers is inadequate ;
is not in proportion either to the labour performed
or the danger incurred. A hundred a year for a
doctor, and a guinea or five and twenty shillings
a week for a relieving officer or a policeman, to
visit the filthy and fever-stricken dens in our back
streets and courts, are scant pay for the risk of
life and health and the possible risk also of the

life and health of their families. In such a time
as this we might be more liberal without being ex-
travagant. The most niggard censor of parish
expenditure would not complain of generosity ex-
ercised in this direction. Something might also
be done to lighten the labours of the parties em-
ployed in this dangerous service. Their number
might be increased, in order to allow time for
healthy relaxation and exercise,—time to permit
them to exchange the fevered atmosphere which
they are hourly breathing for pure air. The autho-
rities of Liverpool, we trust, will look to this.
They have already done and sacrificed much, and
that much cheerfully, to aid the wretched strangers
so unfairly cast upon their bounty ; and they must
not withhold their liberality from their own fellow-
townsmen, who are engaged in carrying out their
benevolence.

We understaud that one of the members of 24 lodge of
the Protestant Association of loyal Orangemen will, this
evening, deliver a lecture to the members, after the lodge
has been closed. The subject of the lecture will be as
important as seasonable.
STEALING A WATCH.—A man, named John Jones, was
yesterday charged, at the police court, with stealing, in
Lace's-street, a watch, worth £5, from a person named
Beetham. The prisoner was in company with Ellen
Rigby, and a man named Stewart, who were committed
on Saturday for the same offence. The prisoner was also
sent for trial at the sessions. _ _ _

We are authorised to contradict a report which has
been industriously circulated, that the Rev. G. Cuthbert,
minister of St. Mathew's, is about removing to a distant
sphere of labour. The reverend gentleman's ministry,
since its commencement, has been accompanied with every
success, and no such change as that alluded to is, or has
been contemplated.
THE CROPS.—CANTERBURY, SATURDAY.—The last
few days we have had cold, dry, easterly winds, which
keep out the homeward-bound ships ; and the price of
wheat has advanced from 3s. to ss. per quarter this day.
There is really no reason for the advance. The crops
never looked better, though the pasture lands are begin-
ning to call out for rain. I send you an ear of wheat in
full bloom, and also one of oats. I suppose you have
none with you so forward. With the weather we had last
week, we should be cutting in five weeks.—From a Cor-
respondent.
THE ROYAL MERSEY YACHT CLUB.—The first sailing
match of the season will take place to-morrow, for three
elegant pieces of plate, given by the club. The contend-
ing yachts, first, second, and third class, will sail from
the Rock Ferry, shortly after ten o'clock, taking " the
Egerton course," ' and will return to tae place of starting.
Nine fine yachts have been entered. One of the City of
Dublin Company's mail steam-ships will attend and fol-
low the match, for the accommodation of the officers, and
the members, and their friends, leaving the Prince's Pier
at ten o'clock. A good band of music will be on board,
and the stewards will make ample provision for the com-
pany. The contest, it is expseted, will be highly interesting.
We have much pleasure in stating that at the late exa-
mination for Gentlemen Cadets in the royal military aca-
demy, Woolwich, the first place was assigned to Mr.
Charles Forbes Birch, of this town, son of the late Capt.
Birch, of the 73rd regiment. There were eleven other
successful candidates, the answering of all of whom was
highly respectable, but Mr. Birch did not miss a single
question during the whole of a rigid examination. In
his special preparationhe was unfavourably circumstanced,
as lie had only been ten days upon the spot instead of
several months. His success is creditable on the one
hand to his own character and attainments; and on the
other to the Collegiate Institution, in which he was
educated.
HARVEST PROSPECTS.—In the Exchange Newsroom,
on Saturday, a clump of wheat was exhibited from Mr.
Neilson's farm, at Halewood. It was sown the first week
in October, is now upwards of three feet high, and beauti-
fully shot into ear. Mr. Thompson, of Sutton, near
Eastham, states, in a letter to the Mail, that he cut a
field of grass last Monday, and was ct r:yincr it on Saturday.
The crop was so heavy that the mowers 116boured to deli-
ver it from the scythe. An old practical farmer who was
present stated that he had never seen a finer crop, and it
was in first-rate condition. He intends to take a second
crop from the same field. " Grain" he adds' " -looks
excellently well, As concerns the potato blight, my crop
is not enough advanced to give any opinion at present.
I can detect no symptoms. The plant looks well."
PRESENTATION TO WILLIAM SHAW, ESQ., OF EVER-
TON.—We have had the gratification to inspect, at the
shop of Mr. Doke, Lord-street, silversmith, a handsome
and costly service of plate, to be, in the language of the
inscription, " presented to William Shaw, Esq., by the
inhabitants of Everton and his friends, in testimony of his
zeal and faithful discharge of his public duties for upwards
of twenty-seven years, and in admiration of his character
as an upright and honourable man. Everton, June 1847."
The plate consists of tea and coffee services, of the en-
graved Chinese pattern, with twelve tea-spoons, of the
king's pattern ; an engraved basket, a tea, coffee, and
water pot ; a sugar basin and cream jug, sugar tongs,
chased silver, a toast rack ; fish knife and fork, 12 table
and 12 desert forks, and 6 table spoons—value in all £l5O.
Included in the present there is also a fine lithographic
likeness of the recipient, by Mr. M`Galley, with a silver
plate, bearing an inscription similar to the above. Mr.
Shaw has been one of the longest and most indefatigable
friends of the township of Everton, and this testimonial to
his worth is as honourable to the donors as it must be
gratifying to his own feelings.
THE POST OFFICE.—The proposition of the post-
office authorities to remove the present post-office from
the custom-house to Lime-street, is being memorialized
against by the merchants, brokers, shipowners, and
principal commercial men of the town, on grounds which
they set forth, and which are in some points reasonable,
especially as regards themselves in their respective voca-
tions. They urge that some site nearer the exchange
would be more preferable to Lime-street, which is sepa-
rated from the business district by crowded thoroughfares,
and "an unbridged hollow" across Whitechapel • that
Lime-street, though near to the North-Western Railway
Station, is at a considerable distance from the other rail-
way stations about to be formed, that it is also far from
tofrceeodrt
merchants
Scotch eanartnt,esdhahelnodrt
by
adaptedhniynolgtethtleteetr
sand forfor manyfore
foreign
inlando
otletters
r s letters,reee received
I,l;ner_ebrti3exaens
would
dorthegeur
irpeacakmetosl:tittohdaet
otinfh
epmyi
aa ssouotgegroesfs
suggest
clerks
he sesi n sat
concentration
sessions-house,
o ugreate e, ir risk
nearsckii
theaapn
Chapel-street,
exchange;slto
rs
es of
etor ostime,nndy
situation between Rumford-street and Colonial-buildings,
Dale-street. The memorial lies for signature at the
exchange news-room,