The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-02-01 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL BANKING COMPANY,

On Wednesday a public meeting of the depositors in
the Liverpool Banking Company was held at the Claren-
don-rooms, for the purpose of devising the best means of
getting a prompt settlement of their accounts. The chair
was occupied by Mr. John Bennett, of Lord-street, who
stated that he was a depositor to the amount of nearly
£6OO, and that various societies, of which he was the
secretary, had some thousands of pounds in the bank,
and were put in consequence to great inconvenience. He
then related the substance of a conversation he had had
with Mr. Wilson' the manager, and which resulted in the
bank making the following offer, in writing, to the deposi-
tors :—They would issue promissory notes to each, pay-
able at four periods—the Ist of April, one-third; the Ist
of August, one-third; the Ist of December, one-third;
and the Ist of February, 1849, the whole of the interest,
at 5 per cent. With the exception of the payment of
interest in the fourth period, which, at his suggestion,
the bank had since agreed to pay within the three first
periods, he felt satisfied with this arrangement, believing
that the prospect of the money was sure, and that the
promissory notes could be cashed. The majority of the
meeting took a different view of the offer, and expressed
themselves desirous of obtaining their money at once.
Mr. Shorthouse said he proposed to the bank that they
should pay half the deposits in February, and the other
half in July, but the proposition was declined. Mr.
Priest thought a further call ought to be made upon the
shareholders, in order that the demands of the depositors
(most of whom, he said, were persons of very limited
means) might be satisfied. Eventually, upon the motion
of Mr. Priest, it was resolved that, as the proposal was
unsatisfactory, a committee of six be appointed to wait
on the bank, and report the result at an adjourned meet-
meeting of the depositors, to be held on Friday.—At the
adjourned meeting on Friday, Mr. John Bennett was
called again the chair, arid read a note from the manager
of the bank, stating that "the bank will pay one-third,
or 6s. Bd. of a pound in cash, and for the remainder will
accept bills drawn by the depositors, payable at Messrs.,
Currie and Co.'s, London. for one-third, or 6s. Bd. fall-
, ing due Ist August, 1848, and the other one-third, or
6s. 81. falling due let December, 1848, interest at the

rate of five per cent being added to the instalments."
As it appeared that there was no chance- of the depositors
getting a better settlement even if they resorted to legal
proceedings, it was resolve& that the offer of the bank
be accepted.
THE LIVERPOOL NEW GAS AND COKE COMPANY.—
On Saturday the half-yearly general meeting took place,
at the premises, Newington, to receive the report of the
directors, declare a dividend, &c. Mr. Steel, the manager,
read the report. The dividend recommended by the
directors was lls. 6d. per share, on the £25 shares,
issued in March last; £1 ss. on the shares of the same
amount previously-issued; and £5 on each share of £loo'
—exclusive of the income-tax. An application has been
made to Parliament to amalgamate this with the other gas
company. A special meeting would be called on the sub-
ject. Several of•the directors retiring by rotation, but
re-eligible, were re-elected. The report expressed re-
spectful regret of the loss the committee had sustained
by the death of Mr. Henry Holmes. The report was
adopted, and • the dividends stated were also agreed to-
The usual votes of thanks were passed, and it was stated
before the close of the meeting, that the special meeting,
to sanction the amalgamation, could not be called until
the bill had been read a first time in the House of Com-
mons.

ST. HELENS CANAL AND RAILIVAr..--A, special gene-
ral meeting of the proprietors took place in the Clarendon
Rooms on Saturday afternoon, to determine whether,
under the provisions of an act passed- during the present-
session for extending the time for making certain railways,
the directors should be empowered to enter into any con-
tracts during the current year for executing the works of
the railway from Widnes to Gersten and the Garston
Docks. By the new act the consent of the holders of
three-fifths of the shares in a railway. company is required.
before the direek.rs- are authorized, to contract, during
twelve months from the passing of this-act, for the execu-
tion of any new works, though such consent does not
render it imperative on the directors to proceed with the
works.—The chair was occupied by Mr. G. Greene'',
M.P., chairman of-the directors. The Chairman explained
the nature of the new act. He did not think it would be
prudent, at present, to enter into any large contract, for
in that case new shares would have to be created. The
new Railway Act did not apply to the St. Helens Act of
1847, as the directors had already entered into contracts
for the reduction and alteration of, the inclines. On the
printed forms signed by the shareholders being handed in,
the chairman announced that the proprietors of 1,56 i
assented to, and-of 87 shares, dissented from granting the
required powers—the assentients representing upwards of
three-fifths of the whole shares. Not more than £5 will
be called for on the new preference shares during the next
twelve months. By the amount which would be expended
on the works. for which these shares were created, the
company would save £2,000 per annum in the working of
the line oa the present traffic, and much more on the
prospective traffic. The meeting then broke up.
DOCK COMMITTEE.—At the usual weekly meeting on
Thursday, there were present Mr. Bramley-Moore, the
chairman, and sixteen other members of the committee.
Authority was given to let the Queen's, the Union, and
the Coburg Docks run dry on the 2d of February, in order
to open the gates of the Queen's, and examine those at
the Coburg. The receipts at Runcorn for the past month..
were £44: 13s. 6d., about the same as those of the previ-
ous month. The Lords of the Admiralty in a letter dated
18th January, and addressed to the committee recom-
mended'that embankments be made so as to prevent en-
croachment on tidal harbours ; and the letter was referred
to the Marine Committee. In consequence of the Chair-
man stating that conflicting arguments of the expense of
working the Albert Dock, had gone before the public, and
that it was desirable that official returns should be pre,
pared, Mr. Robinson moved for a return of wages, &c.,
from 24th September to 24th December, distinguishing
certain items, &c. Mr. Mann seconded the motion, and
it was carried. The Chairman having stated that his mo-
tion in the Council relative to the new dock bill had been
defeated, Mr. Gladstone said that had arisen from some
misunderstanding in the Council, and he moved that the,
bill be proceeded with in the present session, in strict con-
formity with the dock act (6th section) of 9th and 10th
Victoria, and for no other purpose. Mr. Rankin seconded.
the motion. Mr. Royden said, the town at large was de-
termined to have the rating clause inserted, and it would
only make bad worse to proceed any further at present.
Mr. Tobin thought the bill ought not to be proceeded
with. Mr. Gladstone's motion was carried by a majority
of one—all present voting.
WEST DERBY UNION.—The weekly meeting was held
on Friday. John Sheppard, Esq., presided ; Mr. Austin,
Assistant Poor Law Commissioner was present, as were
sixteen members of the board. New applications for
relief occupied nearly three hours. Mr. Austin then, at.
the request of the Chairman, referred to the steps which:
bad been taken by the Poor Law Commissioners towards
a separation of Toxteth-park from the West Derby
Union. He said the matter had received much conside-
ration by the General Board, but there was considerable
difficulty in coming to a conclusion, and it was left to
him to make a further proposition to the Commissioners
solely upon a matter of principle, which he was not yet
prepared to enter into. He should lose no time in getting
the affair settled, and should take care that the separa-
tion, if effected at all, should be carried out on equitable
principles as regarded the respective townships.—Mr.
Appleby thought the majority of the Board were in favour
of a separation. They could not go on as at present.
There had been 150 new applicants for relief that morn-
ing, of whom 100 were from Toxteth-park. The guardi-
ans could at present test the validity of these applications,
and they had not room in the workhouse for the appli-
cants, they were obliged to give out-door relief. The
Board would require a workhouse capable of receiving
1000 persons.—Mr. Smith moved a resolution as follows
increase of the population of this union calls for a divi-
sion of this union, and that a separation of the townships
of Toxteth-nark, Wavertree, Childwall, Allerton, and
Garston from the other townships of the West Derby
Union is desirable."—Mr. Peers seconded.—Mr. Bad-
nall spoke against the motion. The workhouse might be
enlarged. He moved a direct negative, which was
seconded by Mr. Roskell.—Mr. Smith, in reply, said that
it was absolutely necessary that the wants of the paupers
of Toxteth-park, where the population was daily increas-
ing, should be provided for in that township.—Upon a
division, 9 voted for the original motion, and 7 against it.

RAILWAY AFFAIRS.
_it_

The Caledonian Railway will be opened on Tuesday,
the 15th inst.

That portion of the Aberdeen Railway lying between
Montrose and Triockheim, was opened on Thursday.
SOUTH YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.—The directors propose
immediately to execute that part of the line which extends
from Doncaster to the Midland Railway at Swinton, with
a line to the nearest colleries.
DETENTION OF TRAINS.—In consequence of the con-
tinuance of the severe frost, the metals on the several
lines of railway have been rendered so glassy that it has
been considered necessary for the public safety to decrease
the speed of all trains.
At a meeting of the Parkgate, Chester and Birkenhead
Railway Company, the Hon. E. Mostyn in the chair, it
was agreed to ask for a further time of two years (three
years being fixed for the act) for making the line. The
directors did not wish, during the present pressure, to
ask the shareholders for money.
The Chester and Holyhead Railway Company have re-
ceived notice, dated from Conway, January 25, that, on
an experimental test of the tube destined to span the Con-
way river, the deflection of the tube supporting its own
weight, is only seven-eights of an inch out of the level
along the bottom ' • and, their engineer adds, everything is
perfectly right, and beyond doubt successful.
At the inquest held last week on the guard killed on the
South-Western line, Mr. Locke, the engineer, men-
tioned, as a proof of the perfection to which engine-build-
ing was now carried, that be had known an engine run
37,000 miles on the Grand Junction line without any in-
jury, and from 20,000 to 30,000 miles further, after a mere
tightening of the parts of her machinery.
Orders have been given on the South-Western Railway
that the signal of detonating balls as well as that of the
red light, shall be used in all cases of accidental detention
of trains. These balls explode with a loud report under
the wheels of any engine that may be approaching the spot
where the detention exists, and thus render accidents
nearly impossible.
From official returns it appears that the amount of
traffic for the last week, on upwards of 3436 miles of rail-
way, was £149,281, thus accounted for :—X70,844 for the
conveyance of passengers only, £42,315 for the carriage of
goods, and a remainder of £36,122 for passengers and
goods together, not respectively apportioned ; being an
increase of £14,109 over the corresponding week of the
former year, when the mileage was 2680. The average
earnings per mile for last week were £43, whilst in 1817
they were £5O.
LIVERPOOL, CROSBY, AND SOUTHPORT RAILWAY.—
An extraordinary meeting' f the Company was held at the
Clarendon-rooms on Thursday, to determine whether a
contract for executing the works on that part of the line
from Waterloo -to Southport, should be entered into or
not. The chair was occupied by H. Blundell, Esq., of
Crosby. The assents and dissents having been handed in
it was announced that there were in favour of proceeding
with the line 161 shareholders, representing 7,249 shares,
and five dissentients, representing 103 shares. The
Chairman then stated that there being more than three-
fifths assenting, the directors had now power to go on
with the railway.

HEADS OF FAMILIES cannot be too strongly admoni-
shed against the common but pernicious practice of
administering to their children in any of their little ail-
ments those drastic powders, all of which contain more or
less of Calomel, which they are so continually in the
habit of procuring from the apothecary or chymist : for
although the convenience of their minute bulk and ab-
sence of nauseating taste is great, yet the frequent repe-
tition of such medicines produces a softening of the bones
and premature decay of the teeth, most prejudicial to the
constitution during the whole period of life. Of late
years there have been made great improvements in Vege-
table Chemistry, by which the active principles of many
simple and innocent medicines have been separated from
their nauseating part. The greatest boon has been con-
ferred upon mankind, and more especially the rising
generation, by separating the active principle of that
universally esteemed purgative Senna, by Mr. John
Freeman, a practical chemist, living in the Blackfriars-
road, London, who has removed all its nanseating and
griping qualities, and rendered it so peculiarly pleasant to
the taste that children will take it with a positive relish.
This admirable preparation, which he denominates SwEE7
ESSENCE OF SENNA, is held in such high estimation by
Dr. Locock, Physician to Her Gracious Majesty, that
he is continually in the habit of prescribing it for Her
Majesty and her Royal Children, a sure proof of its para-
mount importance as a Dnmestie Aperient, which we
confidently recommend to every parent. Its moderate
price places it within the resell of all; Adr,