The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-03-10 00:00:00

STREET ARCHITECTURE

There are few towns, indeed not even one occurs to us just
now, that can display more taste in architecture than our
own. Strangers acknowledge this, and we think we cannot
better prove our own opinion than by referring to the splen-
did piles of buildings in Brunswick-street and Fenwick.
street, the Royal Bank-buildings, the offices now erecting by
Messrs. Waterhouse, the Adelaide-buildings, India-buildings,
and others. There is a spirit of rivalry existing amongst re-
tail tradesmen also that cannot but tend to the improvement
of the appearance of the town. In every leading thorough-
fare one or more tasteful shops appear, in which time, money,
and art have been expended. The last example that has come
under our notice is the shop of Mr. Pringle, (lately occupied
by Messrs. Edgley,) in Bold-street, which, for lavish outlay,
taste, and splendour, is, certainly, unsurpassed, perhaps, in
Great Britain. This decorative taste is but going back to old
times, when massive carvings, handsome signs, and other
attractive matters were put out to draw the attention of the

public. It was formerly the custom to decorate the outside
of houses with- curious carvings and elaborate work, as may
be seen in numerous instances, where very old buildings are at
present standing, as in different parts of London and Ches-
ter. and other places of great antiquity.
The style of the front of Mr. Pringle's shop is that of
Francis the First, and is L' enerally denominated "La renais••
or the new birth. It was the first attempt made to

verge from the Gothic style, and is based upon the principles
of the Roman and Italian architecture. This style was much
in fashion in this country during the reigns of Henry and
Elizabeth, with this difference, that it in some measure de-
generated into extravagance, non-essentials being introduced,
which, instead of adding to, only marred the general effect
produced in the French examples. In the front of the shop
we now draw atttention to, these extravagancies appear to
have been avoided, and the style has been maintained in its
pure state, not only in form, but also in colour, the harmonies,
of which cannot fail to please the eye. The hold cornice,
with its enriched members and frieze, is broken by projec-
tive blocks, dividing the front into four .spaces, under which
are boldkarches springing from the windows. This cornice
is supported by trusses from which hang some pendants of
graceful form,occupying the spandrils of the arches of the sash.
Over the cornice is a balustrade course, broken by pedestals,
which supports in the centre a fine composition of ornamental
forms, after what is called, we believe, in technical terms,

" bolted style," rising to a great height, and producing

an imposing and splendid effect. In the centre of that, over
the door, is the shield of the royal arms emblazoned in
colours, the top surmounted by the royal crown. The frieze
of the cornice and the panels in the upper course are coloured
garter blue ; the jewels introduced so as to give effect to the
arrangements of colour necessary, are of a rich crimson.
The rest is finished in pure white and gold. The design is
novel and the style pure.
As for the interior of the shop that is also very handsome.
It is lighted at night by one of those new combinations of
the bat-wing flames, which have resulted from the recent at-
tempts to improve the lighting of the streets. The lights are
enclosed in an elegantly shaped lanthorn, in harmony with
the style of the front. By day it forms a pendant from the
ceiling, appearing perfectly opaque; at night a soft mellow
light is diffused over the handsome and costly goods displayed.
Whether the colours of the exterior will stand long in this
climate remains to be proved ; they can, at any rate, easily
be renewed ; Mr. Pringle deserves credit for showing
an example of taste to his neighbours. The artist and de-
signer is Mr. Jackson, whose decorative abilities are well
known.

The Rev. Robert M. Kennedy, vicar of Ryragli, and
chaplain to the late Bishop of Meath, has been collated, by
the Archbishop of Dublin, to the Rectory of Powers-court
and prebend of Stagonil, with a place in the chapter of St.
Patrick's Cathedral, vacant by the promotion of the Rev.
Robert Daly, now Bishop of Cashel.
Mr. CORDEN.—it is not generally known that Mr. Cobden,
who figures as the principal leader of the Anti-Corn-Law
confederacy, was, a few years since, a commercial traveller
in Ireland, and is indebted for his celebrity in the manufac-
ture of fancy cotton goods to a young man, named Whitfield.
a native of the city of Dublin, who is deaf and dumb, and
who has furnished, these seven years past, those beautiful
patterns which brought Mr. Cobden into notice as a manu-
facturer. Young Whitfield, we have heard, was educated at
the deaf and dumb institution at Claremont.—Lein.vier
Express.

Loss OF THE SHIP " WASHINGTON."—It appears from
a letter received at the Jerusalem Coffee-house, dated March
7th, off Brighton, on board the Sir Robert Peel, that the
Washington, from Bengal to London, was lost in longitude
86'30 E. iatitude 12 N., on the 25th Octobr. She had
suffered very materially for several days previously from a
storm, and after pumping and using every exertion to save
the ship, it was unanimously agreed to abandon her on the
latter day. The Sir Robert Peel bore up to her, seeing her
signal of distress flying, and took all on board. Ths stores
were partly saved, and at five p m. on the 25th, the Wash-
ington was seen to go down head first.
PONTOP AND SOUTH SHIELDS RAILWAY.—The first ge-
neral meeting of the proprietors in this company was held
last week at the offices, in Guildhall-buildings—Mr. Rennie
in the chair. It appeared that the company had recently
taken possession of the Stanhope and Tyne Railway, which
they were now working at a profit, under the title of the
Pontop and South Shields Railway. The accounts exhibited
a net revenue for the half-year of £42,802, leaving a balance,
after the payment of £27,618 for expenses, of £15,183. This
amount had been charged with the interest on the loans and
liabilities of the late company, out of which a dividend at the
rate of 30s. per share for the half year was declared. The
traffic in coal and passengers on the line exhibited a steady
increase.

OBAN.—On the 25th ult., the shock of an earthquake was
distinctly felt in this place, exactly about eight o'clock in
the evening. It seemed to come at first with a sudden dull
shock, as of a heavy body falling, and then resembled the
rumbling of a carriage as it passes along the street. It ap-
peared also to pass from east to west, and occupied from 40
to 50 seconds in its transition. There were the usual accom-
paniments of shaking of furniture, rattling of glass and
earthen vessels. &c. What was more remarkable, a flash of
lightning was observed about the same time, although there
was none seen previous, nor has been since. About two
years ago a similar shock was felt in this place, and a still
severer one about 14 years ago. We have some curiosity to
learn whether the present shock has been felt any where else
over the country.—Glasgow Chronicle.
A transaction in the corn trade was announced to-day, the
nature of which was such as to cause very general observa-
tion among merchants. It appears that a cargo of wheat,
just arrived from Wolgast, was cleared for consumption at
the duty now payable, which is the highest that can be im-
posed under the new law, namely, 20s. per quarter. The
effect of this unlooked-for movement has been that of pro-
ducing a depression in the market, the understanding being
that other cargoes are on their way which will also come into
immediate consumption. It should be mentioned, that the
quality of the cargo cleared to-day, consisting of about 700
quarters, was fine, and that it was sold at the price of 56a.
per quarter, duty paid.—Morning Post.

The sixth anniversary dinner of the Benevolent Institution
for the Relief of Aged and Infirm Journeymen Tailors, took
place last week at Freemasons'-hall ; Sir Peter Laurie was
in the chair. Nearly 400 gentlemen sat down to dinner.
After the cloth was removed, the usual loyal toasts were
given, and the present position of the society was then de-
tailed to the company by Mr. Stutz, whose health, as one of
its founders, and the most steadfast of its patrons, was en-
thusiastically drunk. The society was £1,500 in debt for a
chapel and other buildings which had been recently erected
in connexion with it, and looked to the donations of the
evening as a means of extricating itself from its present em-
barrassments. Mr. Stula very generously offered to make
up whatever deficiency there might be in the subscriptions
of the evening. About half-past ten it was announced by
the chair man that £l,OOO had been subscribed. The remain-
ing £5OO was accordingly subscribed by Mr. Stulz, who has
already, we understand, expended many thousand pounds in
aid of this charitable institution.

SERIOUS CHARGE.—At the New Bailey, Manchester, on
Monday, Edwin and Nathanial Lucas, brothers, silk mer-
chants, were brought before the magistrates on a charge of
feloniously receiving a quantity of silk goods, stolen in May
last from the warehouse of Barton, and Co., Manchester.
During the last two or three years a number of silk-ware-
houses have been broken into and robbed of goods, the a-
mount of which is said to have exceeded £lO,OOO. These
robberies have been so ingeniously planned and executed
as to have defied the utmost vigilance of the police either
to trace the goods or the thieves at the time, and not
the slightest information on the subject has till lately
been obtained. About a fortnight ago, however, it was
rumoured that parties were connected with these robberies
who stood higher in the world than the police had ventured
to look—that they had been planned and effected at the in-
stance, in fact, of master silk-manufacturers and dyers. It
was said that these parties, entering the warehouses of dif-
ferent merchants and tradesmen, in the way of business, had
thus the means in the day time, without suspicion attaching
to them, of observing the fastening of doors, and getting to
know the most valuable or most suitable goods for their
purpose ; that they then laid their plans and submitted those
plans to workmen in their employ, journeymen house-
breakers, by whom the robberies were effected ; that the
goods so stolen were mostly yarns, which on being brought
to them were immediately consigned to the dye-tub; and
that thus, with the change of colour, the possibility of de-
tection was removed.—The prisoners having been placed in
the dock. Mr. Barton said, I have a warehouse in Spring-
gardens, Manchester. 1 recollect the 16th of May last. On
the following morning it was found that my warehouse had
been entered by thieves, and goods to the amount of £l,OOO
and upwards stolen. Amoag the goods stolen were eight of
the tab-ends produced. A portion of the goods were manu-
factured pieces, and the remainder unwrought silk. I did
not succeed in tracing any of the goods stolen till lately,
when, in consequence of certain information obtained, I went
with the police officers, on the 15th ult., to the warehouse of
the prisoners at Leigh, or near to Leigh. I there saw the
two prisoners together. They said they were vartners. The
goods of mine we found there were the eight tabs I have
identified as forming part of the goods stolen from my ware-
house on the night of the 16th of May. I asked them where
they obtained those tabs, and they replied that they should
be able to show that on the proper day The inspectors of
police stated that the prisoners said they were partners, and
had been so for two years, and would be able to prove their
innocence at the prOper time.—Mr. Lewis, silk merchant,
deposed to having bought from Messrs. Lucas seven pieces
of silk goods, valued at £5O, which Mr. Barton subsequently
identified as his property.—Other goods,. purchased from the
prisoners by another person, were identified by Mr. Barton
also, and the prisoners were remanded•