The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-31 00:00:00

COMMITMENTS, &c.—At the Police-court yesterday.
the cases were comparatively few, there being but 4G
prisoners in all. A boy named Williams, was charged
with stealing a mat from a ship, and was committed for
seven days to the Houe of Correction.—A boy, Robert
Rigg, for stealing a carpet bag from a hat shop in Berry-
street, and who had before been in custody, was commit-
ted for two months.—A girl, Rebecca Travis, was charged
by a Maltese sraman, Frank Merchoker, with robbing
him of Ils. in Albion-street, on Saturday night. The
prisoner said she had paid him the money and she had
given it to the servant, from shorn the police-officer, it
appeared, received it. She was committed to gaol for
two months.—A boy named Dibdin, was charged with
stealing 11b. of indigo, which was found in his berth in the
forecastle of the vessel to which he belonged, in George's
Dock. As nibs. of the article were missing, and it ap.
peered probable that other parties were also concerned, he
was remanded.
ROMISH PROSELYTISM.—At the else of appeal before
the Recorder. on Saturday week, which we reported in
our last, one of the witnesses said " She was a member of
t:.e Church of England. The nuns at Low Hill
wanted her to turn Roman Catholic, and they gave her
some relief She went one or two nights to the convent
to receive instruction. She never told Sarah Morris that
she was going to become a Roman Catholic. The nuns
gave her coppers several times. They also gave her flan-
nel petticoats for herself and her children, two bedgowns,
and two chemises. She never got a cloak from the nuns.
She went to the convent with one of the blue bedgowns
on, and the nuns said they should like to see her wear
the other clothes they had given her. She had never
pledged the articles she had received from the nuns, nor
did she ever tell Morris that she had received a cloak at
the nunnery under pretence of turning Roman Catholic."
The Mercury confesses " that the practice of these nuns
in thus making mere bread and butter converts is un-
questionably a bad one and that the converts thus ob-
tained are not worth the catching or the keeping."
HIGHWAY RORBERY.—Two young men, James Shan-
non and John Fenton, were, yesterday, charged, at the
Police-court, with this offence. The prosecutor, a res-
pectable-looking man, named Whitstone, said that on
Saturday night after 1( aving St. John's Market o❑ his
way home, with £5 10s. in gold, and his watch upon him,
he observed the prisoners following him in Manchester-
street. They had hold of each other and reeled about as
if they were drunk, but he was afterwards convinced that
this was a mere sham. They kept following him until
he got into a part of Hatton-garden where there are no
houses on either side, when one of them struck him a
blow on the head with some instrument which broke his
hat. Fenton then took his purse, containing his money,
out of his pocket and made off. Shannon afterwards
seized his watch-guard and pulled out his watch, but wit-
ness turned smartly upon him and snatched it out of his
hand. Shannon at first ran off, but a police-officer coming
he all at once walked slowly as if nothing had happened,
and was apprehended. The other prisoner was not taken
until next day, and the money was not found. Two little
girls, daughters of the complainant, who were with him,
and a boy who had also witnessed the assault, corroborated
the principal facts.—The prisoners were committed for

THE CONVICTS EVANS AND STEW.—These unfortu-
nate beings will, in all probability, be executed on Satur-
day next. From all that can be learned of Stew's early
life, at Nantwich and in Manchester, he appears to have
been a hardened character, passionate in the extreme,
and remarkable for peevishness and moroseness of dispo-
sition. That be entertained a sincere affection for the
unfortunate woman in whose blood he imbrued his hands,
there is no reason to doubt; but it is extremely question-
able that he was insane at the time he perpetrated the
deed. Within the last few days, he seems to have become
fully conscious of his impending fate, though he has not,
up to the present time, evinced that penitent frame of
mind which it is so desirabie to witness in a man standing
on the very threshold of eternity. He has not made any
admissions with respect to the crime. Evans is the son
of very decent working people, resident at Bristol. He
was brought up morally and religiously, and though he
has made the worst possible use of his Scriptural know-
ledge, the lessons he imbibed in his early youth have
never been forgotten, for to this hour he can repeat whole
ch•ipters from the Bible by rote, though he has been a
most profligate character. The culprit can read and
write well. He, like Stew, has neither admitted nor
denied his guilt, and is beginning to be conscious of the
shortness of the time allowed him for repentance in this
world. Both the convicts have been confined in the same
room since their trials took place, and will remain there
until their removal to the condemned cell, a day or two
prior to their execution. Evans sleeps soundly, but Stew
is apt to talk in his sleep, and occasionally to speak of
the fitful visions which are constantly presenting them-
selves to his agitated mind. The Rev. Mr. Appleton,
the estimable chaplain of the gaol, is unremitting in his
attendance, both Stew and Evans being members of the
Church of England.
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.—On Friday
evening the fifth annual meeting of this seciety wasr held
at the Collegiate Institution, when upwards of one hundred
gentlemen assembled. Mr. John B. Brancker, the pre-
sident, submitted the committee's report, which stated
that every means had been used to secure an efficient or-
chestra and talented performers. Crowded audiences had
testified their warm approbation. The receipts of the
year had been fully equal to the expenditure, but the debt
had not been lessened, in consequence of several payments
on account of the new, powerful, and splendid organ
which had been purchased, and of additions to their fur-
niture; but at the same time the property of the society
had been much increased in value, and they were now in
possession of a most excellent musical library. With re-
gard to the erection of a new concert hail, so large an
amount of money had been already subscribed that the
I committee were of opinion there would be no difficulty in
carrying out the project. The committee would not,
however, proceed to take any responsible steps until a
certain fund was subscribed and in their banker's bands,
and they called upon members to exert themselves to ob-
tain additional subscriptions. After alluding to some
slight alterations in the laws, the committee, in the ab-
sence of Mr. W. Sudlow, (who is on the continent,) ex-
pressed their sense of his zeal, talents, and affability, and
declared that theyconsidered the society wasindebted chiefly
to his exertions for its present prosperous condition. The
Treasurer then read the cash accounts, by which it ap-
peared that the balance now due to the bank was £471.
The report was then received, the treasurer's accounts
passed, and the officers and committee for the ensuing
year re-elected, by the unanimous voice of the meeting.
Mr. D. M`Viccar proposed the presentation of a piece of
plate to Mr. Sudlow, the secretary ; and this was carried
by acclamation. Mr. Jones thought a salary should also
be attached to the seeretaryship. The Chairman said,
Mr. Sudlow had declined to receive anything, unless it
was to go to the improvement of th organ ; an they
were indebted to him for the new organ. A vote of thanks
was passed to Mr. Herrmann, the talented conductor.
Mr. Turner proposed a ballot for places at the concerts,
but it was opposed, and the subject dropped. Votes of
thanks were then passed to the committee and to the pre-
sident, and the meeting separated.
TARVIN HALL SCHOOL—The half-yearly public ex-
amination of the pupils at Mr. Brindley's establishment
at Tarvin Hall, took place on the 16th inst., in the pre-
sence of a large number of clergymen and gentlemen.
The pupils acquitted themselves in a most satisfactory
manner, and proved that the judicious and persevering
labours of their teachers have been abundantly rewarded.
Among those of the boys who were foremost in their ac-
quirements, we may mention Sprague of London, who
was first, as usual, in mathematics, and whose translation
from Virgil was highly commended ; W. Brown, of Lon-
don, for his proficiency in Greek, in the Scriptures,
General history, and uniform good conduct ; W. Gans-
sen, of Magherafelt, Ireland, for French, German, and
English ; Blake, sen. of Liverpool, for German ; T.
Smith, of Chester, for Latin and arithmetic : Vernon, of
Wellington, for scale-drawing, book-keeping, and arith-
metic; and Okell, of Barrow, who was equal with Ver-
non in arithmetic ; Bird, of Beeston, being at the head of
the writing department. The whole of the very exten-
sive and convenient premises were inspected by the visi-
tors, and met in every department with the warmest ap-
proval. The reports of the visiting physician and surgeon
stated that the whole of the pupils (65 in number) had en-
joyed uninterupted good health, which, in a great mea-
sure were to be attributed to the general arrangements
and locality of the school." The gymnastic and drill ex-
ercises at Tarvin Hall are much approved of. as contri-
butory to health, and as tending not only to improve the
deportment, but to develope the physical energies. On
Wednesday evening, Mr. and Mrs. Brindley gave a most
liberal and gratifying entertainment to a party of about
200 ladies and gentlemen. At six o'clock, the visitors
having assembled in the spacious Lecture Hall, which
was handsomely decorated for the occasion, an excellent
instrumental band played a popular overture; after
which tne scholars commenced the recitation of Shakes-
pere's noble historical tragedy of "Julius Cesar;" Mr.
Brindley having previously explained that it had been se-
lected, not with the slightest idea of anything like scenic
or theatrical display, but merely as an elocutionary exer-
cise, for the purpose of training the young gentlemen to
those habits of public speaking, which might enable them
to address a company with fluency and grace. The prin-
cipal parts were spoken with " good emphasis and diecre-
tion;" that of Brutus was assigned to Blake of Liverpool,
Cassius to It. Topham, of Chester, Marc Antony to
Sprague of London, Julius acsar to. Middleton of Li-
verpool, and Caeca to Unsworth of Liverpool ; where all
acquitted themselves in a most praiseworthy manner, it is
almost invidious to particularize, but we cannot resist the
temptation to award espec al commendation to Brutus
and Cassius ; of the minor characters too, we must notice
tlelittle fellows Owen of Shrewsbury, and Madeley of
Birmingham, who gave so much spirit to the speeches of
Ocavitis Ccesar and Pindarus ; there was a good deal of
quiet propriety too about the Lucius of Smith of Chester.
Between the " acts " some favourite glees were beauti-
fully given by several members of the Chester Cathedral
Choir; and at the close of the recitations, the national
anthem was sung by the pupils. About nine o'clock,
the party adjourned to the spacious dining room, where
an elegant supper was provided. T. L. Lowten, Esq.,
in proposing " Success to Tarvin hall School" said, in
reference to the examination, that he had never witnessed
a similar occasion, which was so thoroughly satisfactory
in its sesults, both as regarded the scholars and their in-
structors. Mr. Brindley acknowledged the compliment.
Blake, sen. also begged, on behalf of himself and school-
fellows, to thank Mr. and Mrs. Brindley for their kind
attentions at all times, and to express their gratitude for
the very excellent and complete education they were re-
ceiving at Tarvin Hall, and hoped they would continue to
be prosperous and happy. This sentiment was received
by the boys with the most deafening applause. After
supper, the visitors and pupils re-assembled in the Lec-
ture Hall, where the recreations of " the merry mingling
dance " were enjoyed with the most lively delight; and
between the Quadrilles, a selection of popular songs and
glees was introduced by the above-named Choristers, till
" God save the Queen" brought to a close a most inter-
esting evening's entertainment.