The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-23 00:00:00

DESTRUCTION OF KING WILLIAM'S COLLEGE
ISLE OF MAN, BY FIRE.

(Abridged from the 2.llona's Herald.)

The whole of this beautiful and extensive educational
establishment was destroyed on the morning of Sunday
week. The fire broke out in the western wing, either in
the class rooms of the English department,or in the boys'
dining-room immediately below. Shortly after two o'clock
the first alarm was given ; but for many hours after this
there was no fire engine, ladder, or supply of water, that
could be used with any effect ; and the flames, having thus
unchecked progress, rapidly spread through the corridors
and the entire of the vast building, including the class-
rooms, the dwelling-house of the Rev. Mr. Dixon, the
Principal, the beautiful chapel, and the great tower,
which, with the exception of the apartments of the Rev.
Mr. Cumming, the Vice-Principal, situated in the eastern
wing, were totally destroyed.
His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, and nearly
all the respectable inhabitants of Castletown and the
neighbourhood, were shortly on the spot, and every thing
that could be done was adopted; but through the absence of
an engine for several hours, the devouring element spread
with uncontrolled fury, and every effort was made to se-
cure as much of the furniture, books, and other property
as possible ; but even here the want of ladders, whereby
an entrance might have been effected into the upper sto-
ries, was severely felt. The greater part of the private
library of the Principal, a portion of the wines, and some
articles of furniture in the front rooms, were saved by
great exertions ; but the very valuable library of the Col-
lege, containing many works of great value, and a curious
collection of Bibles, from the time of Coverdale, in up-
wards of fifty different languages, many unique MSS.
relating to Manx ecclesiastical affairs, and the very va-
luable military models and plans, maps, mathematical and
other instruments, belonging to Mr. Browne, the professor
of English and modern literature, were entirely destroyed.
The first alarm was given by two boys who were sick of
the measles, separated from the other boys, and aleeping
immediately over the English class-rooms.
The engines did not reach the spot till half-past eight,
and the firemen followed in half an hour, but the work of
destruction had been nearly completed, and the engines,
in consequence of their inefficiency, were of little use.
The building was insured in the Sun Office for £2OOO,
and Mr. Dixon's property for £2200 ; but the loss to the
building alone cannot be under £lOOO. Mr. Cumming
was uninsured.
A meeting of the trustees, together with the Principal
of the College, was held on Monday, when it was resolved
that rooms should be procured to carry on the usual
studies; that an investigation should be entered into to
endeavour to discover the cause of the fire ; and that
instant measures should be pursued towards the restora-
tion of the College, on a more secure plan. The first
stone of the building was laid on the 23d April, 1830, and
it was opened in the summer of 1833. It was partly in
the early English and partly in the Elizabethan style,
forming a spacious and cruciform structure, 210 feet in
length from east to west, and 135 feet from north to
south ; from the intersection rose the embattled tower.
115 feet high. The edifice cost about £6OOO, of which
£2OOO was from the accumulated fund from property
granted by Bishop Barrow in 1668, for the education of
young men for the ministry in the Manx Church. From
subscriptions raised chiefly in the island £2OOO was ob-
tained, and the remaining £2OOO was supplied by mort-
tgraugsitnegest,h e wf hu no
d e.
are Theth the property
Lieutenant-Gs i e sot
ve de r inno
rt e hands
o rodf
CB
hi sr
ih
sori
a,
nt eo
nCel e
vr oa
rf
-tGh ee
nRe
roal
atnhde A
therc hAdtetaocronne
y,
Ge
nmesrtael r.
The present number of boarders with the Principal is
30, with the Vice-Principal 11, and the entire number
attending the seminary, besides day pupils, 110.

BRITISH Mvszuse.—By a parliamentary return the
annual estimated charge for the British Museum to Lady-
day next is stated to be £34,975. The return embraces
nine divisions, including the number of persons who have
visited the institution for the last six years. From
Christmas 1836, to Christmas, 1837, the number was
321,151; from Christmas, 1837, to Christmas, 1838, the
number was 266,008 ; to 1839, 280,850 ; to 1840, 247,929 ;
to 1841, 19,374 ; and to Christmas, 1842, 547,718. No
fewer than 5,687 visits by artists were made in the year
1842 to the galleries of sculpture, and 8,781 to the print-
room. It is stated in respect to the reading-room, that
" the number of books returned to the shelves of the ge-
neral library from the reading-room is 142,179; to the
royal library, 22,408 ; to the closets where they are kept
for the use of readers from day to day, 78,470 ; to the
shelves of the reading-rooms, about 116,400; altogether,
3 9,457 volumes,—on an average 1,230 a day. The num-
ber of readers is 71.494.
DEATH FROM HYDROPHOBIA. —On Monday a lad, 17
years old, was admitted into St. Thomas's Hospital, suf-
fering from hydrophobia. He was brought to the above
institution from Carshalton in a fly, and while being as-
sisted to alight he was seized with a paroxysm of the
disease, barking loudly like a dog, and attempting to bite
the persons near him ; so exceedingly violent were his
struggles, that it required the exertions of four strong
men to carry him up into George's ward, and he was
obliged to be held down in bed by main force. During
the intervals of the succession of attacks he was assailed
with, he was perfectly rational, and frequently remarked
that the attendants need not be afraid, as he would not
hurt any of them ; he also said he had no doubt he should
be better by the morrow, and seemed to be totally uncon-
scious of the fatal nature of the malady he was afflicted
wan. Every Lz-,

. .
pired about eleven o'clock the same night. He had, it
appears, been bitten about six weeks ago by a dog that
had strayed into the stable-yard ; the wound was very
slight, and, healing quickly, no further notice was taken
of it.

AMERICAN PROVISIONS.—On Wednesday last a pri-
vate show of foreign provisions took place in the sale-
room of Messrs. Kneeling and Hunt, Monument-yard,
London, previous to the public sale, on the succeeding
day. The following members of parliament and official
gentlemen attended ; namely, Joseph flume, Esq., M.P. ;
Dr. Bowring, M.P. ; Benjamin Hawes, jun., Esq., M-P;
James Pattison, E-q., M.P. ; Hon. Charles Pelham Vil-
hers. M.P. ; Mr. M`Gregor, Secretary Board of Trade;
Sir John Hill, Superintendent Deptford Dockyard ; A.
Barclay, Esq.. secretary Hudson's Bay Company ; Thos.
Young, Esq. ; Messrs. Hankeys, bankers ; J. W. Dover,
Esq. ; and a number of influential merchants connected
with the United States, Australia, and the Cape of Good
Hope. The opinions expressed were highly favourable as
to the quality of the various supplies submitted for
ewin-
spectionoenrdeiitni o high
t.o h
iandgr
English tasting.
favour.ngiish
use.TTh Thee American
Labradori s sale
le ksta
ol cmhoene siess a
lasnod in hamsgood
place on Thurs-
day afternoon. The Labrador salmon sold freely at 655.
a tierce of 3 cwts. ; cured trout at 40s. The American
cheese of this importation is stated to be the finest ever
yet imported, and is the first offered containing colouring.
Thin sold at 535. and 545. per cwt. ; a thinner cheese
without colouring, but very little inferior in quality, sold
at prices varying from 48s. to 535.; and one parcel as low
as 455. Some very nice tongues sold at 20s. and 21s. per
keg of twelve each, in bond : the duty is ss. a keg. Mr.
Keeling, in his prefatory observations, stated, that the
provisions would be sold without any reserve, as the ob-
ject was to bring them freely before the public at reason-
able prices, in order to invite consumption.

INTENSE LIGHT.—In the Chester Chronicle, of Friday
last, is a letter from the Rev. Henry Raikes, Chancellor
of the Diocese, to Dr. Robinson. The Rev. Chancellor
communicates the result of an experiment which he made,
on the night of Christmas-day, with Dr. Robinson's com-
position for producing intense light. The night, the Chan-
cellor says, was profoundly dark. The Chancellor and
into
the Dod, of the Enniskillen Dragoons, rowed out
the lake near Mr. Dod's house, at Cloverly. The skiff
was soon near a small island in the middle of the sheet
of water. About an ounce and a half of the composition
was placed on a plate of iron, which was put on a buoyant
float. The Chancellor says:—" As soon as I had ignited
the substance, we cast off the float and blazing composi-
tion to some distance from us. The effect was magical.
The intense white light, blazing up in a brilliant cone,
rivalled the brightness of the sun. Not only were our
own figures, our boat, and the wild and gloomy spot we
occupied, lighted up with dazzling clearness, but the sur-
roun ling prospect of lake and forest was bathed in start-
ling light, and birds of every wing arose from the pre-
serves and sedgy islands of the pool, frighted from their
sleep by the sudden incursion of artificial day on the
ample domain of wintry darkness. I was able to read the
City article of Friday, 22d instant, and could have even
ascertained the value of Pennsylvanian bonds had they
been enumerated ; while the numerous Christmas party
assembled in the distant house were witnesses of the
temporary success of our experiment." The Rev. Chan-
cellor deplores that the light is too evanescent, and ad-
-1115C9 that means shall be taken to render it more endu-

ring. After showing the use to which the invention may
be turned in cases of shipwrecks, night conflicts, storm-
ings, and signal fires, the Chancellor concludes by order-
ing a pound of the composition, as he wishes to give it
another trial on the wider basin of Bala, in North Wales.
MDR DER, OF Two CHILDREN.—On Wednesday even-
ing the parish of St. Paul, Deptford, was thrown into an
extraordinary state of excitement by the discovery of a
horrid murder in Griffen-street, Deptford. It appears
that the father of the hapless children, whose name is
John Fawley Dickenson, returned home from London
soon after five o'clock, having been in town all day on
private business, when, on going into the back parlour to
meet his wife and children, he found her with ther throat
dreadfully cut, lying with her head towards the foot of
the bed, weltering in her blood, but still alive, and on get-
ting a light he discovered his two children (aged eighteen
months and three years) lying at their mother's feet next
the head of the bed, with their throats so dreadfully cut
that life must have become almost immediately after-
wards extinct. The parish surgeon, and another gentle-
man, who came at once to the scene of horror, sewed up
the wound in the unhappy woman's throat, and bandaged
it. The following part of a letter was found in a box by
the bedside :—" Dear Sir : I now write to you for the
last time. You said last night it was my fault, it was
°wing to my own misconduct that I was now in my pre-
sent distress, but that I deny. I say now, and always
shall say, that you were the cause of my downfall at the
Peterborough Arms. lam compelled to write to you, as
I could not express myself to you last night. I now wish
to know if you will he so kind as to pay my rent. for me."
The reporter beard Dickenson's wife say to the surgeon,
Police, and churchwarden, shat she did the deed herself.
Some brandy and water, and also some tea, were poured
into her mouth, which revived her a little, and enabled
her to speak in a low tone. Mr. Dickenson, in a most
distracted state, was removed to the Union for personal
safety. Two policemen are left to sit up with the unhappy
woman. An inquest was held on Thursday on the !oodles
of the two children, and a verdict of " Wilful murder"
was returned against Sarah Dickenson. The accused
will remain at her residence for the present in the custody
of the police, her removal being interdicted by the sur-
geon.

THE REV. J. R. WELSH, OF THE SCOTCH
CHURCH, OLDHAM-STREET.

(From the Greenock Advertiser.)
On Wenesday, a meeting of the Greenock Presbytery
was held in the Sheriff Court Hall,—the Rev. Mr. Brown,
of Innerkip, Moderator.

Dr. Brown read a memorial from certain trustees and
managers of Oldham-street Scottish Church, Liverpool,
complaining that Mr. James Rodger Welsh, the pastor of
that church, and a licentiate of the Presbytery of Greenock,
has, since the late disruption in the Church of Scotland,
frequently allowed ministers who had seceded from the
Scottish Establishment, and who had in consequence been
declared to be no longer in connection with that Church,
to officiate in his pulpit, and had recommended collec-
tions in their behalf. He had also preached to certain
persons who had left Rodney-street Chapel on the avowed
ground that that place of worship was inalienably con-
nected with the Church of Scotland. The memorial con-
cluded by praying them to exercise discipline upon such
of their licentiates as might be found guilty of following
divisive courses.
Dr. M'Culloch did not think a mere exchange of pul-
pits with those of another persuasion, to be following di-
visive courses.
Dr. Brown felt bound to declare, at the outset, that,
from every thing he had heard of him, Mr. Welsh was a
most exemplary young mam. He had lately been in
Liverpool, and from what he had heard some of those who
had subscribed the memorial say in regard to Mr. Welsh,
he was sure it had been with great reluctance, and from a
strong sense of duty, that they had been induced to take
the step they had taken, or any other which might seem
to be hostile to Mr. Welsh. He (Dr. Brown) understood
some of the members of Presbytery had doubts as to whe-
ther they had now any jurisdiction over Mr. Welsh, who
was within the bounds of another Presbytery ; but he
(Dr. Brown) had no doubt upon the subject, and would
quote two cases in point ; and they were all the more per-
tinent to the present case, as they respected ministers in
England. The first case to which he would refer was
that of Edward Irving, of the National Scottish Church,
Regent-square, London, and which, from the attention it
excited at the time, must be still fresh in the recollection
of many. When that gentleman persisted in preachin
doctrines at variance with the standards of the Church,g
some of the members of session who did not adopt his
new views complained to the Presbytery of London
against him, and wished that body to take up the case.
That court, however, applied to the Presbytery of Annan,
from whom Mr. Irving had received his license. That
Presbytery took the matter up, and cited Mr. Irving to
appear before them. He obeyed that citation, and was
by them deprived of his license. The other case related
to a most respectable and excellent man, well known in
this locality. He meant Mr. Scott, son of the late Dr.
Scott, and minister of the Scottish Church, Woolwich.
In this case, too, the Presbytery of London applied to
the Presbytery which had licensed the person charged—
that of Paisley—and he was deprived of his license like-
wise. Both of these decisions were afterwards confirmed
by the General Assembly; and, such being the case, he
(Dr. Brown) could not doubt that they had jurisdiction in
the case of Mr. Welsh.

Dr. M'Culloch wished to know if the Presbytery to
which Mr. Welsh belonged had taken up the matter?
Dr. Brown said, the Presbytery referred to could not
settle the question of license; which was the one before
them. Besides, that Presbytery had for some time been
in a very distracted state.
Dr. M'Culloch did not see his way clearly in the mat-
ter. The persons whose names were appended to the
memorial might be all highly respectable men, but they
had no status in the Presbytery, and they could not pro-
ceed on such a document. He thought a letter ought to
be written to the memorialists, enquiring whether they had
taken any steps in their own Presbytery in reference to
Mr. Welsh. That Presbytery was recognised by them as
Church Court. _ _

Mr. Kinross ■aid, they would require to know exactly
the nature of the constitution of the Chapel in Oldham-
street. Perhaps it contained nothing inconsistent with
ministers of the Free Church occupying the pulpit. In
regard to Mr. Welsh, who had formerly laboured for
some time in the parish of which he (Mr. Kinross) was
now pastor, he knew that his labours had been very ac-
ceptable to the people there, and that he was highly beloved
and respected. He was convinced that Mr. Welsh's
character for integrity was such, that, if applied to, he
would state his views frankly and honestly.

A CURIOUS SNUFF-DOX.—Our readers will see, by an
advertisement in another column, that a box of great value
is to be disposed of by lottery at the house of Mr. Berry,
Victoria Hotel. Drury-lane. The box is of gold, richly
ornamented with pearls and enamel, and was once the
property of Napoleon. In addition to the usual proper-
ties of a musical box, it contains a curious automaton
bird, which, at intervals, starts from an aperture. displays
its beautiful plumage, and warbles a song, its miniature
beak moving with all the gracefulness of nature. The
box is valued at 100 guineas. In front of the box is a
small watch, which, it is stated, keeps excellent time.
KIRKDALE EPIPHANY SESSIONS.—The County Ses-
sions for the hundred of West Derby commenced at
Kirkdale, on Tuesday last, before the hey. Jon. Brooks,
chairman, Peter Bourne, Thomas Rawson, Thomas Ro-
dick, William Hall, John Fletcher, and H. C. Lacy,
Esqrs. The following were the grand jury, viz., Mr. Jas.
Corley, of Winwick, foreman •
g Messrs. H. G. Harrison,
L fl • J • m• • • • -

Henry ViErniiratir,";.%7,7 457'..181.V
Singleton Cooper, Charles Crompton, and J. Gilbert, of
North Meols ; John Jones and John Wilson, of Newton-
cum-Mackerfield ; Richard Allen, Joseph Crosfield, Jas.
Bolton, Peter Davis, jun. and Thomas Hadfield, of War-
rington; Wm. Barker, Josiah Leyland, and Thomas
Corley, of Huyton ; Alfred S. Carr; Thomas Tasker, of
Billinge ; William Mercer, and Edward Broom. George
Watson, of Parr, did not appear, and was fiuied £5. The
chairman's ch.,rge was short, principally indicating to the
grand jury the nature of their duties, as on former occa-
sions they did not seem to have been properly undergaod,
James Bourne, Esq., of Heathfield-house, near Waver
tree, qualified, and took his seat on the bench as a justice
of the peace for this county. The trials possessed little
or no interest.

tp
hr Be
toe
oTr AC
horticultural
wr ca s G
h Ae R
dne Ex
yesterday Nh i.
b— tTi o hnes annualb e meDner et in.
u Dp ogi
tei ok fti
nht
sehoe
nw
,ph
theroole-
secretary, read the report, which stased in substance that
successful, the sale of tickets having met the amount
distributed in premiums, and covered the incidental
t I
ex-
penses. There are to be during the present year three
y
of these interesting exhibitions; and as the annual
.
sub-
scription is only 10s. Gd., and the charge for each of the
horticultural shows is 2s. 6d., a lady or gentleman
may be said to have access to the Gardens for 2s. Gd. per
annum. The report notices as follows the new system
adopted in labelling the plants Each label is of large
size, and indicates, by its colour, the peculiar properties
of the plant to which it is affixed, whether poisonous, me-
dicinal, or useful in the arts for food. It states the na-
tural order and family to which the plant belongs, the
botanical and English names,, and, if foreign, the year of
its introduction into this country. This system, there-
fore, answers
walking
amount
oue
throughauurns let ys
oeuf yuei
tnrt y
information."
iuungrl
aayptr purpose of
,
enol may
be
permanent
h acquire
(eixupicatalogue,,reennd andstuuo
cre
t
in-
considerablevihnlass xlpte9arrcst
from exceeded the income by about £lO5. This has arisen
apsritnhteincgoastnd a
of tdhevenretiwsinlgab, elsc,.a;naenxdtratohred
annualinary a me
expenses
eosf
will also, in future, be somewhat reduced by the exemp-
tion
it is
of the garden from all local taxes, under a recent act
of parliament. The committee have to lament, asin
former years, the number of proprietors who, from arious
causes, have ceased to pay their subscriptions ; b
satisfactory to know that this defalcation is somewhat
more than made good by the receipts from annual sub.
scriptions ; and the committee are confident the number
of the latter would be greatly augmented, were the attrac-
tion of the gardens, and the extremely moderate terms on
which they may be enjoyed., more generally known. The
attendance on band nights was so extremely small, that
the committee recommend their discontinuance.
STATE OF THE Wonamouse.—On Wednesday after-
noon, a pauper lad of the name of Jones was brought up
at the Police-court, on a charge of having returned to
Liverpool. and become once more burdensome to the
parish, after having been sent to a place in Scotland to
which he belonged. The circumstance cave rise to a col-
loquytal,
‘pirati:eliris
..i.dri
ituul
daily overseers,
inclbtoooemwrnsit:nnoglowtipohnef which
atrotceeti ov
teweincreasingnnt
that
.ai?rtbi the
uaaiN
Iftogdtlrrelhe.osaetwGrti
destitute
riunlawltglyemei
:rsebeoTaeairr)i
dooi
ftui
otl
ni n;
personea: —r
es
between Mr. Rushton and Mr. Gray, one of the
manysir ;
hey
greatar are,
of them in the yard to-day
: one woman brought her Live
children and her husband. Mr. Rushton The parish
should remove them to the places to which they severally
belong : you know there is a legal mode of proceeding in
matters of the kind : how many have you in the Work-
house at present? Mr. Gray: Two thousand. Mr.
Rushton : It 's not calculated to accommodate more than
1400 ; you should remove those people according to law.
Mr. Gray : But the Poor-law Commissioners, sir, have
to be consulted, and we cannot get the people's settle-
ments. Mr. Rushton : But when you can, you ought to
remove them ; surely the Poor-law Commissioners do not
find fault with such a mode of procedure as that ? Mr.
Gray : What can we do with them when we cannot get
their settlements ? Mr. Rushton : You have no business
to remove any of them out of the town of Liverpool, un-
less legally ; you know you are liable to an
.indictment
under certain circumstances? Mr. Gray : Certainly, sir;
but we cannot get settlements for them. Mr.
7Rushton :
Then you must keep them; if you try the Workhouse
test for the town of Liverpool, you will require a Work-
house capable of accommodating 6,000 people. Mr.
Gray
a. niftyAy.rA grown-up
r. Rushtonßushton
l
able-bodied men. are now in the
Waiting for relief? Mr. Gray :
: Where do they come from ?
Cye ni
do they come from sea? Mr. Gray : They come from
many places; they are all looking for work. Mr. Rush-
ton : Are they what we generally call " tramps " ? Mr.
Gray : They are ; they won't admit them into the work-
houses elsewhere. We have removed no f. wer than six
families, at a considerable expense, and yet they have all
come back to us again. Mr. Rushton :There is only one
course to take ; the expenses must fail on the inhabitants ;
I am extremely sorry for it, but it cannot be helped ; you
must give them relief, you cannot let them starve. Mr.
Gray : In the present case, I gave the prisoner money to
go to Oldham ; he said his mother was there ; but he was
scarcely gone when be was back again : he is a Scotcht,d,
and has given us a vast deal of trouale. Mr. Rushton .
I shall punish him ; he has no right to be here again after
having been removed ; hut you (Mr. Grey) must la), all
this before the local efficers, for you are in a situation of
great responsibility. Arc the new buildings of the Work-
house proceeding? Are they begin, yet? Mr. Gray:
Not yet, sir. The prisoner was thou pat back for the
present, and the conversation ended,