The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-25 00:00:00

THE ANDREW FOSTER.

This noble vessel sailed from the Mersey, on her first
outward voyage, on Friday last. On the Tuesday prior
to her departure a splendid dejeuner was given on board.
The chair was occupied by the gentlemanly but thorough-
going sailor the commander, Jabez Howes, jun., and the
vice-chair most ably filled by Mr. Banks. Amongst those
present were Messrs. A. and J. Taylor, the consignees ;
Mr. Maud, the representative of the owners ; Mr. Day,
of the firm of Stitt, Day, and Co. ; Mr. Meugens, of the
firm of Sill and Meugens ; Mr. Saul, Mr. Flynn,
&c., &c. The tables were piled with a profusion of every
delicacy of our own market, and not a few dishes peculiarly
" Yankee," the demand for which denoted their excel-
lence; indeed the variety and diversity of the viands,
which were principally served up warm, would have done
credit to any hotel ; while the wines were of that character
alone with which Captain Howes would desire to regale
his friends. After the cloth had been removed Mr.
Banks proposed the health of the " Commander of the
Andrew Foster," and in a witty but feeling address
delineated the character of his old friend, Capt. Howes,
who modestly replied to the toast, which was so enthusi-
astically given. The " Owners of the Andrew Foster
was then proposed by Mr. Taylor, and as they are
known as the leaders of the few eminent firms who, in the
commencement of the present century, gave by enterprise
the stimulus to the trade of New York, from which her
importance may be dated, we need scarcely say it was
most enthusiastically received, and replied to by Mr. Maud.
Mr. Walker proposed " The Vice-Chairman," to which
Mr. Banks most eloquently but quaintly replied. " The
commerce of Liverpool and New York" was replied to
by Mr. Day, who, in a lengthy and highly interesting as
well as eloquent address, illustrated the advantages de-
rived from our commercial connexions. Several other
toasts were proposed, to which Mr. Flynn, Mr. J. Taylor,
and others responded, and the party was kept in the
greatest hilarity until five o'clock, when, under the
guidance of Captain Howes, they proceeded to view the
splendid ship—which may safely be said, as to strength,
beauty, and fitness for her intended trade, to be unsur-
passed. The Andrew Foster is one of the St. George
line of packets, and was built, under the inspection of her
captain, for Messrs. Andrew Foster and Sons, of New
York. In exterior appearance she is all that a sailor
could wish. She has a fine entrance and a clean run,
with that rotundity of side that will give her great bearing
powers, and well suit her for carrying canvass. Her lines
are fine, but on deck she is most roomy, and capacity for
passengers is such as will ever render her a favourite
vessel—for in the general arrangements, so important of
late has become emigration, every consideration has been
given to comfort. Between decks she is lofty., and, what is m
far more, well ventilated. She is 175 feet length, 41k
feet beam, 25k feet depth of hold, 1280 tons register,
equal to 1400 tons carpenters' measurement ; she will
carry, it is estimated, 4500 bales of cotton ; her keel is 15
inches deep and 15 inches wide; the aprons, stern post,
transoms, &c. ere all of live oak—a timber so durable_and
strong that it is now almost entirely monopolised for the
American navy : she has two keelsons of 15 inches square ;
the keelsons have each a sister keelson, bolted to every first
futtock and floors running horizontally into the main
keelson with la inch copper bolts. The lower deck
beams are 14 by 17 inches in the throat, and 7 inches in
the side ; the hanging knees the same in the throat, and
from 9 to 13 inches on the sides, and are bolted each with
from 16 to 20 bolts ; on the lower deck the inner water-
ways are 19 inches square, the outer ones 12 and 13,
bolted with la iron bolt to every timber; all the clamps
and ceilings between decks, 8; inches ; through the
bal-
last port she measures 24 inches ; the planking on the waist
outside is 4 in. thich, in the wales Gin., and the bottom 4in.
Indeed, instead of gingerbread decorations, strength and
convenience have been studied ; and we trust, as Captain
Howes is now trying her sailing qualities, she will prove
as fleet. as a glance at her model would denote her to be.

In another column will be found—in an advertisement--
the spirited address of Mrs. Parkes to the public, while
inviting them to become members of her last GRAND'
CLUB SUBSRIPTION. It is in unison with the tone and
taste with which she has conducted all her enterprises for
the promotion of the cause of art; and from what we
know of her past performances in the laudable career of
art-emancipation, we may reasonably foretell a fulfilment
of her present promises that must delight the members•
of the subscription, while it will reflect &tit and credit
upon Mrs. Parkes's " farewell."
THE WATER QUESTION.—This subject, which has
given employment to the pen for some time, has at length
called into requisition thepencil of the artist, and a cari-
cature intended to illustrate the present position of the
question has been produced. The principal figure is a
stalwart Scotchman. armed with two branches from the
mains of the Harrington Water Company. From these
he is pouring forth so great a flood of water as completely
to floor the hero of the Pike scheme," who appears in a
very pitiable plight, and to put to flight those who have
been loudest in their cries of " No water," " Bad supply,"
&c. Mr. M'Gahey is the lithographer, and a copy of the
sketch may be seen in our office window.

FEED APPARATUS FOR BOILERS.—An arrangement
has been suggested for a feed apparatus for boilers for
steam-engines, by Mr. Sutherland, of Liverpool, as a
means of guarding against gorging or drainage of the
boiler, and thereby preventing explosions. It consists of
a valve-chest, having a horizontal partition in the centre,
beneath which is the induction pipe for the water, and
above it the eduction. From the bottom of this valve-
chest, a pipe descends into the boiler, through which a
rod rises, the bottom of which is attached to a ball-float
in the boiler. In the bottom of the valve-chest is a
conical valve, opening downwards, and in the partition,
one opening upwards, both fixed to the rod in such a
manner that when is open the other is shut. Or a defi-
ciency of water in the boiler occurring, the float falls,
shuts the upper valve, and opens the lower, when the
water immediately rushes in, fills the boiler, raises the
the float, closes the bottom valve, and opens the upper
one, when the superfluous water escapes through the
eduction pipe above the partition.
DISTRICT COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.—On Tuesday,
Richard Taylor came up to pass his last examination.
The bankrupt was a soap-boiler, formerly carrying on bu-
siness in Blackstock-street, in this town. His balance-
sheet showed his liabilities to amount to £34,900, £19,264
of which he attributed to losses in railway transactions.
The assets of the bankrupt were stated at £9,428. It ap-
peared that, in 1846, the bankrupt had compromised with
his creditors, having lost during that year, in railway
transactions, the sum of £lO,OOO. Since then he had
been in business, and his assets had all been swept away
under the warrant of attorney, without anything being
left for the general creditors. In addition to this, his fur-
niture had been taken, but there was no visible transfer
on the face of the fiat. The bankrupt was still living in
the same house. The Commissioner observed that there

being no opposition offered, the bankrupt would, of course,
pass his examination, and any objection to be offered
would come forward when the certificate was applied for.
The hearing of the application for the certificate was fixed
for the 16th of May.
TriF, CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 'MISSIONS TO INDIA.-7"
We are informed that on Sabbath next, the Rev. Drs-.:
Cunningham and Hetherington are expected to preach in
some of the Presbyterian Churches in Liverpool in behalf
of the foreign missions of the Free Church. The names
of Dr. Duff, of Calcutta, and Dr. Wilson, of Bombay,
who may be regarded as at the head of the Free Church
Missions in either of these presidencies, are a sufficient
index of the faithfulness and plmost arontolic zeal with
which the missions arO conducted; and one of the bes,t

evidencies of their unsectarian spirit is this, that some of
Dr. Duff's native converts and pupils are now in orders as
Episcopal missionaries in Hindostan. The men who come
as advocates are well adapted to their work. Dr. Cun-
ningham stands among the first of the leaders of the Free
Church, and Dr.. Hetherington is even better known in

,
the literary world, he being the author of two most popu-
lar works,—the one the "History of the Scottish Church,"
and the other " The History of the Westminster Assem-
bly." We understand that a public meeting for the ad-
vocacy of the Free Church Missions will be held on Thurs-
day, the 4th May, when along with Drs. Cunningham and
Hetherington Drs. Candlish, Begg, and other eminent
men from Scotland, will be present.—Correspondent.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO BIRKENHEAD.—The
bill brought into the House of Commons by Lord Mor-
peth, for the purpose of empowering the Commissioners
of Woods and Forests to reclaim crown lands, and aid in
the completion of docks and other works at Birkenhead
has been printed. By the first clause, the reclaimed land
on the Seacombe side of the great tidal basin is vested in
the crown, free from restrictions as to its appropriation.
The cost of the wall on the north side of the basin is to be
borne by the crown, the Commissioners of Woods and
Forests repaying the money already. expended for that
purpose. Power is given to the commissioners, by the 6th
clause, to undertake the completion of the work them-
selves, if they should be dissatisfied ; and the wall when
finished, is to be absolutely vested in the crown. The
commissioners are empowered to borrow money on mort-
gage of the crown lands, and to lend £150,000 to the
Dock Commissioners for completing the works. All mo-
neys advanced by the Commissioners of Woods and Fo.
rests are to be a primary charge upon the property of the
Dock Commissioners, and to have priority over all other
securities. Not more than three shareholders in the Bir-
kenhead Dock Company, or in the Birkenhead, Lanca.
shire, and Cheshire Junction Railway Company, are to be
at the same time trustees of the Birkenhead Ducks.