The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-24 00:00:00

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a club, of which only the softer sex were qualified for
members. A code of rules for the government of the

being 25s.—London paper

DREADFUL ACCIDENT.—EIGHT PERSONS DROWNED.
Two FISHING-BOATS LOST.—MONTROSE. Oct. 11.—It
is our painful duty to record the loss of eight fishermen
belonging to Ferryden, this morning, between two and
three o'clock, about 18 miles off the land, in consequence
of the wind. which was gently at N.E. by N. having, in
an instant, chopped round to S., whence it blew with ter-
rific fury, and capsized two fishing-boats, from which
five men out of six belonging to the first, were rescued by
another boat which was close by at the time ; but the se-
cond crew, consisting of seven individuals, all met a
watery grave. They have left nineteen orphan child-
ren and fourwidows. In the last mentioned boat was
James West, master, his son, and a young man, who was
to be married next week to West's daughter.

NARROW ESCAPES.—On Monday evening, the /6th
of October, ctiring a severe gale from the south-west, the
smack Yeoman's Glory, belonging to Mr. Gill, M.P.,
Plymouth, went to Mevagissey 133 y for shelter. Having
no ballast on board, her crew posses-,ed little control over
her, and she unfortunately ran into the fi-hing-boat Mary,
However, the fluke of the smack's anchor hooked the
boat's gunwale and enabled the owner, John Andrew,
aged 63, and his mate, Thomas Lee, 78, to get out just
before she went down. The smack conveyed the poor
men to Plymouth the next morning, when they were re-
ceived by the ofric:•rs of that useful institution, the Ship-
wrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society. On the even-
ing of the 17th John Andrew, who is a a stranger to Ply-
mouth, fell over the Custom-house quay, but the tide
being low, the water reached only to his waist, and he
thus escaped death by drowning a second time in twenty-
four hours.

GALVANIC ELECTRICITY.—The galvanic apparatus
made by Messrs Kemp, of the South-bridge, was on Fri-
nay last again successfully asplied to the simultaneous
ignition of a number of shots for the purpose of disinte-
grating a large mass of stone in the quarry of Rosyth
Castle, about two miles above the Queensferry. The shots
were arranged in a line along a ledge of rock 70 feet long,
9 feet broad, and between 7 and 8 feet thick. Being loaded
with moderate charges of gunpowder, and connected by
the conducting wires with a large and powerful galvanic
battery, and all the other preliminary preparations effected,
immediately on completing the galvanic circle, 11 shots,
which had been charged with about 35!b. of gunpowder,
were instantaneously fired, and so great was the concen-
trated power of the simultaneous explosions, that the
whole mass in front of the bores was instantly separated
from contiguouz, rock ; the separated portion containing a
mass of not less than 3,780 cubic feet of stone, and weigh-
ing upwards of 260 tons.—Edinburgh Witness.

ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE ON LONDON BRIDGE.—On
Thursday afternoon a most desperate attempt at suicide
was made at London-bridge, by a soldier belonging for-
merly to the Royal Artillery. He precipitated himself
head foremost from the parapet. In his descent he came
with his breast first against the buttress of the bridge, and
fell into the water, nearly into a boat which was passing
at the time, in which was a custom-house officer. The
soldier rose to the surface, and was immediately seized by
the person in the boat, and brought ashore. He was
taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, when he was able to
state that his name was John O'Brien, and that he for-
merly belonged to the ith battalion of the Royal Artil-
lery, but that ten days since he was discharged for mis-
conduct. He was immediately examined by the surgeon,
who discovered that his breast-bone was bre'•-:n, and that
his face was greatly contused. On Thursday evening he
was in a state of delirium, and was not expected to live
through the night..

WHAT IS THE END OF CORN-LAW AGITATION ?—The
following very happy exposition of the fraudulent fallacies
of the Anti-Corn-Law Leaguers, was lately made by a
noble lord at an agricultural meeting in Suffolk—Lord
Rendlesham—who so justly represents one of the divisions
of that county. His remarks were to this effect :—" I
cannot for the life of me understand to what end the corn
law agitation is directed. Is it to raise the price of corn, or
is it to reduce it? If it be the object to raise the price of
corn, where is the gain to the manufacturer? If it be the
object to reduce the price, why tell the farmers that free
trade will undoubtedly give them a higher price for their
corn, and their labourers better wages? If the price of
corn be raised upon one class, it must clearly be raised
upon all. How are the labourers to gain except at the
expense of the farmers, and how are the farmers to gain
at the cost of the community ; and how are manufacturers
to gain an thing by a tree trade in corn, if the effect of
such change is to benefit the farmer and to raise the price
of corn !"

JUNCTION OF THE ATLANTIC AN PACIEIC OCEANS.
—The contract entered into by the Barings, of London,
with the republic of New Grenada, for the construction of
a ship.canal across the isthmus of Darien, provides for
ceding to the company the line for the projected work,
with 80,000 acres of land interior. These princely mer-
chants do not appear in this transaction as the agents of
the British government officially; but they are British
subjects, protected by the government, and, doubtless,
many important advantages will be secured to Great Bri-
tain, both political and commercial, by the completion of
the vast work here projected. The completion of a ship
canal between the two oceans thus projected will mark an
era in the world's age. The event will stand forth to give
a distinctive character to the century. It is to be a five
years' work to endure for ever. The whole aspect of com-
merce will be changed by it. It will accelerate the revo-
lution now going on in China more rapidly and more
thorougly than all the force of British armament, and not
there only will it work changes, but in all Polynesia and
Australasia, and the western coasts of South America,
which are uow reached by doubling Cape Horn.—Balti-
more paper.

DREADFUL CALAMITY.—CROMRR, OCT. 11.---This
morning, at about one o'clock, a gale suddenly rose, and
at two it increased to a perfect hurricane. In the after-
noon of yesterday, as the weather was exceedingly fine
and calm, a number of fishing boats, each containing a
crew of four or five men, left Cromer in search of fish,
and, as the elements were highly favourable, there is no
doubt they went off to a gre. t distance, for in such cases
they often push their voyage to an extent of forty or fifty
miles. Many of these boats are open and undecked, and
not more than twenty feet long, and the largest afford but
very slight protection against the weather or other casu-
alties. This morning none of the number that went out
were in sight, and, up to the present hour, two o'clock,
p.m., nothing has been seen or heard of them. There is
one melancholy exception—a boat which contained five
men has been washed ashore at Backton, near Minsley ;
one body only has been found, and there is not the least
doubt but that the whole crew have found a watery grave.
One poor fellow has left a wife and six children. It is
difficult to ascertain the number of boats absent, but it is
commonly said about twelve or fourteen. Their fate is,
of course, doubtfu., but very serious apprehensions are
entertained on account of them. Some vessels are in
sight, and one, apparently a large brig, has a signal of
distress (a flag in her main rigging) flying. Messengers
are sent out along the coast, and it is feared dreadful ac-
counts will he brought in in the morning. A vessel, the
Friendship, from Goole, laden with chalk, has also come
ashore at the same place, with a smaller kind of craft
called a billybuoy, which was run ashore, and the mate, a
Cromer man, lost his life.

PRINCE ALBERT'S FARM.—Some two or three years
since the Prince Consort purchased of the executors of
his late Royal Highness the Duke of Glocester an im-
mense tract of land, extending over several thousands of
acres, consisting principally of heath land, in the immediate
vicinity of Bagshot, with a farm attached, known as the
Rapley Farm. Upon this extensive property it is the in-
tention of his Royal Highness to try the experiment of
breeding and rearing the blackcock, or cock of the woods,
which is extremely plentiful in various parts of Scotland.
The splendid live birds which were forwarded to the
Prince as a present from the Duke of Hamilton about two
months ago have been sent to his Royal Highness's do-
mains at Bagshot, where there is every probability that
the experiment of rearing and breeding them will be as
successful as can he desired. The blackcocks which were
presented to the Prince were bred by the Duke of Hamil-
ton upon his Grace's estate in the Isle of Arran, in the
Frith of Clyde. On Monday afternoon, immediately after
luncheon, her Majesty and Prince Albert left the Castle
in a carriage and tour for Swinley, about three miles from
Bagshot, where the saddle horses had been previously
sent from Windsor, and the Queen and the Prince pro-
ceeded from thence to Rapley on horseback, and rode over
a considerable portion of his Royal Highness's property.
The game was found to be extremely abundant, especially
hares, not a gun having been fired on the Prince's estate
during the season. Her Majesty and the Prince returned
to Swinley, and from thence to the Castle in the royal
carriage and four. It is the intention of Prince Albert
to inclose and cultivate a considerable portion of his large
property in the neighbourhood of Bagshot.

Two INFANTS DRUGGED TO DEATH BY A SERVANT.
—On Saturday evening last, a young mother was deprived
of two young children by the culpable, and indeed crimi-
nal, conduct of a servant. Tie facts are shortly these :
Mrs. Rogers, of Bangor-street, Carnarvon, wife of Mr.
Rogers. commercial traveller, being engaged in the shop,
had entrusted her two female infant children, one eighteen,
and the other four months old, to her two female domes-
tics, and, in the course of the night was much alarmed by
one of them being in strong convulsions, and the other
in a dying state. Medical aid was called in, and the ser-
vants subjected to a rigid examination, when one of them
named Ellen Griffith, in whose charge the children were
more immediately placed, stated that she had given to
them a small portion of gin, in order to make them sleep,
and that was all the explanation that could be extorted
from her. In the course of the night both the children
died. On an investigation before the Coroner, it turned
out that the girl Griffith, in order to keep the children
quiet, had given them nearly a pennyworth of laudanum,
which she had purchased of a druggist. The jury re-
turned a verdict of manslaughter agatnst Ellen Griffith
and she was committed to the county gaol to take her trial
at the next assizes. Circumstances have transpired, in
thetode
connection with this event, to establish that the practice
of servants drugging infants committed to their charge,
prevails to a very great extent in Carnarvon, and the
he
euosuunaltrtyi'."degrading
ic.nugs tom
confession,of t
neighbourhood, and particularly on Saturday nights, the
e for courting,
druggist
that he generally dispensed laudanum
to fifty or sixty ser-
vant girls on a Saturday night.

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

L EICESTERS II IRI

.;er, hit

'to residing at this pis

for the wilful ru

) wag

ion of our readers that a per

.ervant-man

litsuott,l, last, by cleaving his head with a hate
lot discovered until the reabin

the corn was let to some Irishmen, who, going over if,
found the head of a man dreadfully mangled, and the
hotly in a dite'h about three yards off. Several p,-titions
for bail having been forwarded to the Home-office, the
ption j magistrates assembled in citt,irter-s,ssions on Tuesday last,

!:t a communication therefrom, awhoriznig them to
bail to the amount of .£2,ooo—viz., the prisoner
in £l,OOO, and four sureties in £259 each, with
rs' notice.

ST:LNNGE DISCOVERY.—A short time ago two human
skeletons were found by persons engrged in digging the
foundations of some houses in Gallowsacre-lane, Clifton,
and consigned to the custody of a medical gentleman.
Conjecture was busy as to who the parties could have
been, and from subsequent inquiries, there is very little
doubt that they were the bodies of two Irishmen. named
Burnett and Payne, convicted of the murder of Richard
Ruddle, coachman to Sir Robert Cann, on the 26th of
October, 1713, nearly 100 years ago, and hung and gib-
beted on Clifton-down, near the scene of the crime.
The victim on that occasion was, it seems, mistaken for a
farmer named Winter, whom the murderers expected to
cross the Down with a large sum of money in his posses-
sion

On the death of Sir Robert Cann, who ❑sed great
exertions to bring the perpetrators of the deed to justice.
the bodies were taken from the gibbet, and it is supposed
interred in the spot where they were discovered.

DIMINISHED INTEREST ON EAST INDIA BONDS.—
The following notice, relative to the rate of interest upon
India Bonds, was posted at the Stock-Exchange late on
Wednesday afternoon. It had no material effect on the
price of those securities; indeed, it appears to have been
anticipated on Tuesday, when from 775. pm. they de-
clined to 745. pm. They were done on Wednesday as
high as 795. pm. and as low as 745. pm., while in one or
two cases bids were made at 735. pm. :
" The Court of Directors of the East India Company
do hereby give notice—
" That the present rate of interest (£3. 10s.). three
pounds ten shillings per cent. per annum, on the Compa-
ny's bonds will cease and determine on the 31st day of
October, 1844.
" That from and after the 31st day of October, 1844,
such bonds shall carry an interest only of (£3) three
pounds per cent. per annum.
" That holders of bonds will he allowed to bring them
in to be marked for continuation at the said interest of
(X 3) three pounds per cent. per annum until the 18th day
of September, 1844, and that such bonds as shall not be
marked for continuation as aforesaid on or before the 18th
day of September, 1844, shall be liable to be paid off on
the said 31st day of October, 1844, on which day all in-
terest will cease. "JAMES MELVILL."

ROYAL WEST INDIAN MAIL STEAM COMPANY.—
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held last
week. Captain Chappell, the secretary, read the report,
which attributed the loss of the Solway, near Corunna,
to an error in calculation, acquitting the Captain of all
blame. It stated that a further curtailment of the steam-
ing operations would now be effected by a modification of
the different routes, as approved by the Admiralty, hut
the advantages could not be showia at present, as the
modifications did not come into effect till the end of June.
Tha disbursements and receipts account for the half-year
ending the 30th June, showed a balance, applicable to in
surance and wear and tear, of £31,341 15s. 7d. Many
reductions in expenditure, thought practicable at the last
meeting, had been carried into effect, and the last call
having been paid up, the directors had reduced the debt
to £120,000, being £140,000 less than the sum owing at
this time last year. Every vessel belonging to the com-
pany was now in a state of thorough repair and effective-
ness. The directors hoped that, from the omissions of so
many places in the routes, there would, in future, he less
cause for accidents, and, under the circumstances, they
proposed that on the termination of the present year, or
as the policies of the respective ships expire, the company
should set aside a fund of 5 per cent to meet the contin-
gency of insuring their own vessels. A board of manage-
ment had been appointed, who reported weekly to the
directors. In conclusion, the directors held to their first
opinion, that, with the encouragement of her Majesty's
Government, the concern would, at no distant time,
fairly compensate the parties who had embarked their
capital in the undertaking. The statement of accounts
showed the total receipts of the half-year to have been
£158,048 14s. 7d., of which £120,000 came from Gov-
ernment, and only £38,048 Ils. 7d. from freieht and
passage money. The disbursements were £123,70G 19s.
After a long discussion, the report was adopted.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.—The active and indus-
trious habits of the Duke of Wellington, now in the 75th
year of his age, are well known. The following is a recent
instance of his grace's vigorous activity at so advanced a
period of life:—Upon the Duke's arrival in London on
Monday, the 2d inst., from Walmer Castle, en route to
Windsor, to attend a Privy Council held that afternoon
at the Castle, his grace unexpectedly met a messenger
from her Majesty at Apsley-house, the bearer of an invi-
tation to dine with his sovereign on the following day at
the splendid banquet given by her Majesty in honour of
the arrival of her illustrious visitor, the Grand Duke
Michael of Russia. His grace proceeded to Windsor, at-
tended the Privy Council, and immediately it broke up
returned to town by the Great Western Railway, and left
London by the Dover Railway, arriving at Walmer Castle
the same night; the duke having an engagement at
Walmer, which he kept with his habitual punctuality.
The duke left Walmer the next morning, proceeding in
his carriage to Folkestone, and thence to town by the
railway, intending to have reached the Paddington termi-
nus in time for the half-past 5 o'clock train to Slough.
Upon arriving, however, at Paddington, the train had left
some few minutes. and there was no other train to start
until half-past 7 o'clock that evening, which would not
have enabled his grace to reach Windsor Castle until
half-past 8, the hour at which the royal dinner party were
to assemble in the grand banquetting-room. As his grace
was in his usual travelling attire, and as there would not
have been time to have dressed for dinner after his arrival
at the castle, the duke lost no time in returning to Apsley-
house, where he made his toilette, proceeded back to Pad-
dington, left for Slough at half-past 7, arrived there at
12 minutes past 8, and entered the royal residence at half-
past 8, just in time to mingle with her Majesty's illustrious
guests (as he reached the top of the grand staircase,) who
were then proceeding to the magnificent banquet in the
Waterloo Chamber.

A DESPERATE LEAP.—A few days since as a Twy-
ford constable was conveying a prisoner (who had been
sentenced to three months' imprisonment) from that place
to Abingdon gaol, by the Great Western Railway, the
prisoner, shortly after the train started, and while it was
proceeding at the rate of upwards of 30 miles an hour,
suddenly leaped from the carriage, tumbling over head
and heels into the road. The constable, upon the impulse
of the moment and without reflecting upon the danger he
would incur, immediately jumped out after him. Those
in the train who witnessed the foolhardy conduct of the
two men imagined that bosh must have been inevitably
killed. Extraordinary as it may appear, neither was in
the least injured, and the prisoner was again captured by
the courageous constable, who walked along the line to
the next station with his prisoner, and proceeded thence
to his place of destination, where they arrived at a some-
what early hour in the morning. Upon reaching Abing-
don, the constable was advised by one of the town police
whom he met to give his prisoner something to eat at a
public house hard by. This suggestion was adopted by
the constable, who knowing, from his late experience, the
slippery propensities of his charge, determined to keep a
very sharp look out upon his movements. They had just
despatched a hearty meal, when the constable left the
room fora few seconds, the prisoner assuring him that
upon his return " lie would find him as right as the
knocker at Newgate." However, during the absence of
tithe " the trustful Dogberry," the knave quietly jumped
out of the window, unknown to any one about the house,
and got for the time clean off. The surprised and alarmed
constable started off one way, over hedge, ditch, fence,
and stile, and the landlord and hostler another ; but no
tidings were obtained of the fugitive. The police of
Abingdon, however, who were rather more wide awake
than the unlucky wight from Twyford, got scent of the
worthy in the course of the afternoon, and captured him
shortly after dark the same evening. He was then safely
housed in Abingdon gaol, whence it is not likely
he will give the slip until the expiration of his sen-

fence. -
FEARFUL STORM AT SEA.—Throughout Tuesday and
Wednesday a most awful storm raged along the eastern
coast, causing a tremendous sea. The loss of life and
property was truly distressing. Among the many casu-
alties that occurred was, we regret to say, the total loss
of the British built ship Berhampooter, C. G. Cowley
commander, which took place about six o'clock on Wrd-
nesday morning, on the rocks off the southeast portion
of the town of Margate. The unfortunate ship, which
was a very fine vessel, 550 tons burden, and which stood
in the class A 1 at Lloyd's, was the property of Captain
Arthur, and was chartered by Carter and Bonus, the
emigrant agents of Leadenhall-street, for the conveyance
of emigrants on the part of government to Port Philip.
Owing to her size and construction she was well adapted
for that line of traffic, every accommodation being made
that could give comfort to the passengers during their
tedious voyage. On Monday last she sailed from the
London docks, having on board 94 emigrants besides the
crew ; they consisted of 21 women, 44 children, and the
rest men, chiefly belonging to the labouring class. The
voyage to sea was as favourable as could be desired, and
it was the intention of the captain to proceed to Cork for
the purpose of receiving the remainder of the emigrants,
but bad weather threatening, she hove to on Tuesday
night in Margate Roads and anchored, orders being given
to make her as snug as possible. The ship wore the gale
gallantly, and hopes were entertained that she would ride
it out, when a fearful blast drove her from her anchorage,
and she was instantly hurled stem on the chalk rocks,
about half a mile distant from Margate town, between
Clifton Baths and Kingston, the sea at the same time
breaking over ber decks. As may be readily conceived,
all was confusion on board, and the shock being so great
as to carry away her rudder she instantly filled. The
decks were now crowded by the unfortunate emigrants,
and a scene of the most heartrending character presented
itself, every one of them expecting every moment to be
swept into the sea, and either be dashed to pieces or
drowned. Captain Cowley entreated of them to be tran-
quil, and fortunately they obeyed, and after a short lapse
of time several Margate luggers came off, and succeeded
in taking every soul off the ill-fated ship, and landing
them safely. The poor emigrants were in a most de-
plorable state, being completely drenched. Carts having
been procured, they were, without loss of time, conveyed
on to Margate, where they were billetted at the several
public-houses.