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

REMARKABLE OPERATION FOR THE CURE OF CON-
SUMPTION.—The Medical Gazette contains a long article
from the pens of Dr. Hastings and Mr. Robert Storks,
surgeon, descriptive of a remarkable operation for the
cure of consumption, by the perforation of the cavity of
the lungs through the walls of the chest. It consists in
making an opening between the ribs into the cavity which
forms in the lung during the latter stages of consumption.
ALLEGED DEATH OF A CHILD FROM GRIEF.—On
Tuesday evening Mr. Baker held an adjourned inquest at
London, on the body of Elizabeth Sutton, aged ten years.
About a week ago, her father, for whom she had a great
affection, met with an accident, and was removed to the
London Hospital. He kissed her upon being removed
there, which circumstance, it was remarked, excited in her
strong emotion, and from that time she complained of
pains in her head and stomach. She was continually
wishing to go to see them.
DANGER OF LOADED FIRE-ARMS.—On Saturdayweek,
at Kirkham, a respectable tradesman who had been amus-
ing himself shooting small birds, on returning home in-
advertently laid down the gun loaded with small slot.
Next morning his young shop boy took up the piece,
and having previously found a cap fixed it on, " presented"
towards the window. The gun went off—to the great
alarm of the poungster, who did not think it loaded—and
demolished four large panes in the shop window, and
seventeen in the window of the shoo opposite. Luckily
no one was passing at the time, otherwise the consequen-
ces might have been fatal.
FoG IN GLASGOW.—On Friday week Glasgow was
visited by one of the densest fogs that had been known
for many years. A frost bad set in on the previous night,
and it was scarcely possible to see across some of the
streets. The traffic on the river was entirely suspended.
Several vessels left the Bromielaw, but could make little
or no progress. The larger vessels got aground near Go-
van. Three men were drowned at Port Dundas during
the fog. Alexander Bontine, master of a vessel, fell into
the canal, and was soon afterwards taken out dead. On
the same evening Robert Maitland and Collin Campbell
(men employed at a distillery at Port Dundas) fell into
the canal, and were drowned.
A SCENE.—At the Watlington petty sessions, on Sa-
turday. Jane Allen, a wretchedly distressed-looking wo-
man, with an infant at her breast, was charged with hav-
ing stolen, on the 25th of November, a small faggot of
wood, of the value of " one penny." The bench more
than once put it to the prosecutor as to whether he was
determined to press the charge, and he said be was ; he
had lost faggots before. He said, " The faggots were
worth 6s. per hundred "—id. each. It was an affecting
scene. From the prosecutor sternly pressing the charge,
the mother, with the infant in her arms, was committed
to Oxford gaol, to the said faggot, of the value of id.
LONGEVITY.—Died, on Monday last, at the patriarchal
age of 108, Mr. Morris Thurston, of Exeter. The de-
ceased, up to the last seven weeks, enjoyed excellent
health and spirits. He lived for upwards of sixty years
in the house in which he died, and never, till lately,
allowed any one to go into it. He was an herbal doctor,
and as such travelled through Devon, working marvellous
cures. He followed his vocation till within the last two
months, and such was his repute that the people applied
to him for his advice, and received the nostrums, whilst
on his death-bed. He was an alcbymist, and an adept in
astrology ; and it seems as if these ancient delusions lin-
gered with him alone.—Exeter Times.
DANGEROUS FROLICKING.—A person one day last
week, while viewing Wombwell's menagerie, at Bath,
was foolish enough to tease one of the elephants. The
sagacious animal afterwards watched for a favourable
opportunity of retaliating, and when its tormenter was
standing off his guard, within the grasp of its proboscis,
to his great consternation he found himself suddenly
clutched in a close embrace, and lifted as high as the head-
way of the booth would admit, and then brought to the
ground again. Fortunately, however, the trunk of his
formidable antagonist by this time had loosened its hold ;
but such was the terror with which the man was affected
by the animal's resentment, that he went home ill, and
continued so for several days afterwards.
We learn that it is contemplated by government to send
out another expedition to the Arctic Regions, with the
view of discovering the, or a Noah-west passage, between
the Atlantic and Pacific ; and the council of the royal so-
ciety having been solicited to give their opinion as to the
desirableness of such an expedition, have stated, that in-
dependent of the great object to be attained, the benefits
that would accrue to the sciences of geography and ter-
restrial magnetism render such an expedition peculiarly
desirable. It appears aut the Erebus and Terror, which
were recently employed at the South Pole, under the
command of Sir James Ross, have returned in such good
order, as to be ready to be made immediately available
for employment on any similar service.—Athenceurn.
STAMP OFFICE REDUCTION.—A circular has been
issued from the stamp office to the District Distributors
and Sub-distributors, directing a reduction in the charges
for all blank forms for documents to which stamps are
attached, to take place from and after the sth January,
1845. These reductions will be a source of great saving
to t rofessional and commercial men. For parchment,
such skins as are now charged at Bd. will henceforth be
6d. ; those at Is. Bd., ls. ; those at 25., ls. 6d. ; those at
4s , 3s. 2d.; and the others in proportion. For paper,
folio post is reduced from 2s. to Is. 6d. and ls., accord-
ing to quality ; deenv paper from 2d. to id. per sheet ;
and bonds, bills of lading, marriage-licenses, transfers,
and protests, from lid. to id. and id. per sheet.
IMPORTATION OF WHEAT.—A parliamentary return,
which was procured in September last, on the motion of
Mr. Darby, the member for East Sussex, has just been
printed. showing the quantity of wheat imported from
the United States into Canada from the 11th October to
the 31st July, 1844, both inclusive; also, the quantity of
wheat and wheat flour imported from Canada into Great
Britain and Ireland, distinguishing the quantity into
each, from the same period to the same period. It ap-
pears that the quantity of wheat imported into Canada
from the United States from the 11th October, 1843, to
the sth July last, (to which day the returns received only
extend,) was, by sea, 634 quarters, and by inland naviga-
tion or land carriage, 21,161 quarters. The quantities of
wheat and flour, the produce of Canada, imported (for
home consumption) from the same period to the same
period, being the last period to which the returns have
been received, were, into Great Britain, 18,199 quarters
and 6 bushels of wheat, and 262,506 cwts. 1 qr. and 101bs.
of flour; into Ireland, 4,007 cwts. 1 qr. and 101bs. of
flour; making, in the total, 18,199 qrs. and 6 bushels of
wheat, and 266,513 cwts. 2 qrs. and Illbs. of wheat and
flour.

THE MALT TAX.—The Central Agricultural Society
have refused to support the repeal of the malt tax. At a
meeting of the farmers of the county of Norfolk, held a
few days since, to take into consideration the repeal of
the malt tax, a letter from the secretary of the above
society, of which the following is an extract, was read,
in consequence of which the meeting separated without
coming to any resolutions on the subject of the tax :
" I will at once state to you that with reference to the
repeal of the malt tax, the committee, having had their
attention called to it some time ago, came to the deter-
mination of not raising that question on their own part,
and of not recommending the agitation of it by any of
the local protection societies. They felt that to begin to
agitate for the repeal of the malt duties so soon after the
formation of the society, on the virtual understanding
that its object was the maintenance of the present scale
of protection to agriculture, under its existing burthens,
would involve an aggressive policy for which they were
not prepared. The prospects, too, of the property tax
being soon deducted from the items of the revenue of the
country, did not seem to justify the remission of so large
a source of income as the malt duties, unless some sub-
stitute were proposed ; of the nature of which, however,
no unanimity appeared to exist either in the committee
or the country.
EXTRAORDINARY EVENT.—A most extraordinary cir-
camstance has just occurred at the Hawick toll-bar,
which is kept by two old women. It appears that they
had a sum of money in the house, and from some cause
or other were extremely alarmed lest they should be
robbed of it. Their fears prevailed to such an extent,
that when a carrier whom they knew was passing by, they
urgently requested him to remain with them all night,
which, however, his duties would not permit him to do ;
but in consideration of the alarm of the women, he Con-
sented to leave with them a large mastiff dog. When the
carrier started the dog became violent, and would not stop,
upon which one of the women ran after the man, who re-
turned and left his coat for the dog to watch, after which
the dog remained quietly at the toll-house. In the night
the women were disturbed by the uneasiness of the dog,
and heard a noise apparently like an attempt to force an
entrance into the premises, upon which they escaped by
the back-door, and ran to a neighbouring-house, which
happened to be a blacksmith's shop. They knocked at
the door, and were answered from within by the smith's
wife. She said her husband was absent, but that she was
willing to accompany the terrified women to their home.
This was agreed to, and on their reaching the house, they
saw the body of a man hanging half in and half out of
their little window, whom the dog had seized by the throat,
and was still worrying. On examination, the man proved
to be their neighbour the blacksmith, dreadfully torn
about the throat, and quire dead.—Carlisle Patriot.
PUBLIC SALARIES,—On Friday a Parliamentary paper
was issued, giving an account of all salaries, &c., held by
all persons between the sth of January, 1843, the total
amount of which exceeded £l,OOO. The whole list em-
braces the names 754 persons. In the first branch of the
return, civil officers, there are 250 names ; in the second,
judicial officers, officers of courts of law, &c., there are
134, and 30 pensioners; in the third, consular and diplo-
matic officers, there are 52, and 22 pensioners ; in the
fourth, naval officers, there are 34 and 1 pensioner ; in
the fifth department, military officers returned by the
War-office, appears the names of 25 individuals ; in the
sixth, ordnance and military officers not returned by the
War-office, there are 30; in the seventh, officers in the
colonies, there are 118; and in the eighth, branch officers
of the House of Commons, only 10 ; making in the ag-
gregate 754 persons whose incomes from the public money
exceed £l,OOO a-year. The highest sum in the list of
civil officers is the allowance to the Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland of £20,000 and the next, two pensions to the
Duke of Grafton, amounting to £10,584. In the list of
judicial officrs Lord Lyndhurst, as Lord Chancellor, is
the highest, namely, £lO,OOO, which is exclusive of his
salary as Speaker of the House of Lords. Among the
military officers the Duke of Wellington receives the
largest amount. His Grace had in the period mentioned
£8,916 I6s. 3d., consisting ef £3,379 17s. 6d., as Colonel
of the 13th Foot Guards ; £238 15s, 5d., as Colonel-in-
Chief of the Rifle Brigade ; £992 3s. Bd., as Constable of
the Tower of London ; £305 19s. Bd., as Captain of Do-
ver Castle, £4,000 pension granted by act of Parliament.
The noble duke succeeded Lord Hill as Commander-in-
Chief in December, 1842, who, it appears by the return,
received in the year as Commander-in-Chief £2,284 15s.
10d. The Speaker of the House of Commons has £5,000
a-year, and a house ; and Sir W. Gosset, the Sergeant-
at-Arms, £1,500, besides £320 12s. Ild., as a retired
Colonel of Royal Engineers.