The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-10-15 00:00:00

THE "ROYAL" MERSEY YACHT CLUB.

The monthly meeting of this rapidly increasing club was
held on Tuesday evening week, at the Club-room, Mersey
Hotel. The attendance was more numerous than on any
former occasion, and included several yachtmen, far and
near, of long experience and skill, who bad become mem-
bers. _

The secretary, Mr. H. Melling, after reading the
gratifying minutes of the previous meeting, read a letter
from Sir Robert Peel, who had been applied to to become
an honorary member, in which the right honourable gen-
tleman expressed his pride to become a member, and his
every wish for the success of the Club. Another letter
was read from the Most Noble the Marquis of Anglesey,
a nobleman alike distinguished for his prowess in the field,
and his encouragement of daring and skilful feats on the
ocean. The Noble Marquis is owner, and frequently
sailer, of a fine yacht called " Th% Pearl," and wrote,
amongst other complimentary expressions, that he was
" proud of the honour."
Lord Saidon, M.P. ; Sir Howard Douglas, M.P. ;
John Gray, Esq., owner of a new cutter of 50 tons,
building at Cowes, William Jackson, Esq., Birkenhead,
and a number of our most respectable merchants, ship-
owners, and tradesmen—in all thirty-one—and who had
previously been proposed, were then unanimously elected
members.
The nomination of new members to be ballotted for at
the next meeting (according to a rule of the Club, which
makes no distinction of persons in this respect,) was then
proceeded with • and amongst them were the following :
—The Earl of Wilton, who has a seat at Heaton Park,
in this county. is owner of a splendid schooner called the
" Xarifa," of 173 tons, and who wrote that he should be
" most happy to become a member" ; the Honourable
Colonel Pennant, of Penrhyn Castle, North Wales, owner
of a beautiful little yacht called " The Diamond," which
we expect in the Mersey in the spring ; Sir Richard
Bulkeley, of Baron Hill, Beaumaris, also owner of a fine
yacht ; Joseph Weld, Esq., of Lulworth Castle, Dorset-
Iltire, the oldest yachtman in England, and owner of the
largest cutter-yacht in the world, " The Alarm," of 193
tons, a most superb vessel. The Alarm has visited the
waters of the Mersey, and was much admired by all who
saw her. The venerable gentleman, who, we need scarcely
say, is strongly attached to yachting, not only as a perso-
nal pleasure, but as in its pursuit a means of introducing
finer models of vessels, and their more adroit manage-
ment,—at theclose of his letter writes as follows :—" I only
fear that my feeble endeavours, at this great distance,
will fall short of my wishes, in giving that support to an
amusement which I have been so long engaged in."
These communications were received by the Club with
great pride and gratification. The whole of the parties
nominated—twenty-six in number—will be ballotted for
at the next monthly meeting, on the sth proximo.
The Secretary next read official communications ad-
dressed to himself,—one to the effect that her Majesty had
been graciously pleased to grant the title of " Royal," to
be adopted and used by the Club ; and another from the
Secretary to the Admiralty, stating that he was directed
by their Lordships to grant their permission to the vessels
of the Club to wear the blue ensign of her Majesty's Fleet,
with the distinguishing mark of the Club. The applica-
tion was, we understand, transmitted through Lord San-
don, and his lordship, with his usual alacrity in every good
cause, gave it his immediate and anxious attention. Not
only was the permission of their Lordships freely given to
the Club, but (and th's we consider an additional honour)
they intimated that they would also grant a separate war-
rant to each yacht. The general warrant, which bears
the usual expressive and remarkable seal of the Admiralty,
is dated " September 24th, 1844."
The following is a " copy " of Sir James Graham's
polite communication to the Secretary, announcing her
Majesty's gracious reply to the request that the Club
might be called " Royal', :

" Whitehall, 23d September, 1844

" SIR,

" I have bad the honour to submit to the Queen the
request of the Mersey Yacht Club to be called Royal'; and
have the sa•isfaction to inform you, that her Majesty has been
graciously pleased to consent to its being called ` The Royal
Mersey Yacht Club.'
" I have the honour to be,
" Sir,
" Your obedient servant,
" JAS. GRAHAM.

" Henry Melling, Fsq.,
" 16, Keut-square,
" Liverpool."

The " picture" of the ensign (with the burgee, &c.,)
sent to the Lords of the Admiralty for their approval, was
painted by Mr. Melling, the secretary, who is an artist as
well as a sailor. It is very chaste and beautiful, the dis-
tinctive mark, or insignia, being the Crown over the Liver.
A singular model of a vessel of a new construction, for
sailing, or for steam-propulsion, especially by the screw,
the invention of Mr. J. Scott Walker, one of the origina-
tors of the club, was then submitted and excited much
curiosity, and considerable discussion. We shall give a
description of it hereafter.
The business matters being concluded, the members
entered into a conversation on nautical topics, in the
course of which many amusing anecdotes of yachting
were related, and the members separated at an early hour
after spending the evening sociably and delightfully.

LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY.

We guarded ourselves when lately express-
ing our satisfaction with the arrangements of the
Directors of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Company, by reserving the full meed of thanks
which we should have felt it incumbent upon us to
render, until we had ascertained from experience
whether the third-class train, accorded to the poor
travellers upon that line, was one regulated by a
bond fide desire to subserve to public convenience.
We do not know why we made this reservation. It
could not be from any distrust of the personal
honour of the gentlemen who sit upon the board of
this railway. We could never have imagined that
they would stoop to an evasion of a just demand,
and provide an accommodation which, although it
looks well upon paper, is in reality a mockery.
The bare mention of the terms of this concession
will, however, be sufficient to shew—to Liverpool at
least—that it is anything but a boon to the poor.
The third-class train from this town starts at 20
minutes past 6 p.m.; the third-class train from
Manchester starts at 6 a.m. There is, therefore, no
cheap train from here to and from Manchester in
one day; and a poor tradesman or mechanic going
and coming by the third-class train from this town
to Manchester must, if he has one day to spend in
that town, spend also two nights, whilst by the ar-
rangement a Manchester traveller can leave at 6 a.m.
and spend here a clear ten hours before the return
train starts, and be at home at 8 o'clock the same
evening. Manchester is favoured ; Liverpool is
clearly left out of consideration.
But the following portion of the arrangement is,
if possible, worse and worse. If the poor traveller
consents to go by this three-shilling train, of course
the world would suppose that he would present
himself at the Lime-street station. But no—he must
not have this conveniency. He must trudge up to
Edge-hill station, with whatever luggage he may
have ! And this is not because no train leaves
Lime-street at the appointed time. There is one.
But the Directors avail themselves of the opportu-
nity of a pour passenger having luggage or physical
incapacity—of t xing the lame, the halt, and the
blind—by charging those who are compelled to
start from Lime-street sixpence more! In reality,
therefore, this cheap three-shilling train is a three-
and-sixpenny train, useless to nine out of ten people
in Liverpool.

CHARGE OF AIANSLAUGHTER AGAINST A

FEMALE.

On Thursday an inquisition was held before the &t-
-rough Coroner touching the death of Mary Sooghan,
and from the circumstances of the case, an elderly female
named Catherine Gillis, and her daughter Margaret Quig-
gin (a married woman) were brought up in custody, the
former on suspicion of having inflicted the injuries that
caused the death of the deceased, and the latter of hav-
ing aided and abetted her in the act.
Margaret Greenwood, being sworn, said she was the
wife of John Greenwood, and lived at 14, Craven-street.
Witness knew the deceased—Mary Soogban—who re-
sided near witness. Five weeks last Saturday (or there-
abouts) witness heard deceased and Margaret Quiggin
(now present) quarrel several times during the day, but
saw nothing like violence used. About six o'clock the
same evening, witness saw deceased sitting on the steps
of a house fronting the street sewing. fitness got her
to fasten her gown for her. In five minutes after, witness
heard the mother of Mrs. Quiggin (Catharine Gillis)
quarrelling with the deceased, and using very abusive lan-
guage. Witness went to the door and saw Mrs. Gillis
holding the hands of the deceased down on her (deceased')
knees. She (Mrs. G.) lifted up her head cose to the
face of the deceased, and said " If it was not for the law
she would tear her (meaning the deceased's) liver and
lights out"' and she spat in her face two or three times.
Witness heard the deceased ask Mrs. Gillis to go away,
as she did not want to say anything at all to her. Some
other words passed between thew. but the:deceased did
not appear to be in a passion. Witness saw Mrs. Gills
take hold of the deceased by the hair of her hi-ad whilst
she was sitting on the steps, and pull her down into the
channel and drag her. When they got into the middle of
the "wdiggin came out of her house with a
flat-iron and went to deceased. She took
upon the head, but whether to assist her
hoid s
of tre e
deceased
ie, iiec Mahseres rd.
hand
mother to drag her about,,or to loose her hold of de-
ceased, witness could not say. Witness got them asunder,
and a neighbour came and took deceased away also.
Witness did not see either Mrs. Gi:lis or Mrs. Quiggin
strike or jump upon deceased. She saw the deceased
several times after, and she always complained of ha, ing
received some injuries to her right side, which she fre-
quently said arose trum the usage of that day. She was
very large in the family way. From that time deceased
appeared to be getting worse daily, and about a fortnight
ago a surgeon was called to her. Witness also called to
see her on Sunday fortnight and she was then in labour,
and continued so until the Wednesday following, when
she was delivered of a dead male child. She kept getting
worse from that time, and confined to her bed until her
death, which t,ouk place yesterday (last Wednesday)
morning. .

Thorn-as Anderson, a seaman, living in a court in

Craven-street, (said he knew deceased. On Sunday
evening (5 weeks ago) he was standing at the entry end,
when he saw deceased sitting on some steps sewing.
Witness corroborated the assault on deceased by Mr.
Gillis, as stated by the last witness. He also saw de-
ceased fall in the street, and Mrs. Quiggin came out with
a flat-iron ; whether she took hold of deceased or not,
he could not say, but he saw Mrs. Gillis kneeling on the
deceased just after. He saw no blows struck by either of
them. Mrs. Quiggin struck at her in the face. Mrs•
Quiggin's husband was standing at his own door at the
time, and called out " Lay into her", (meaning the de-
ceased). Deceased was taken away into her own house,
and witness did not see her again until he saw her dead.
Ann Cockshott, a married woman, who lived. in the
deceased's house, heard the noise in the street, and went
to see what was to do. This witness also spoke to Mrs.
Gillis's spitting in deceased's face, upon which deceased
lifted her hand to Mrs. G.'s face, but whether she struck
her or not witness could not say. Mrs. Gillis cried out,
"That is what I wanted." A woman named Tester af-
terwards brought deceased up the court. She (deceased)
was not able to walk, and witness assisted to place her on
the steps, and afterwards in bed. Deceased was seized
with a shivering fit, and could scarcely speak. From that
time she got worse than before, but did not complain of
being hurt in the quarrel. She was taken in labour on,
Sunday fortnight, but was not delivered until the follow-
ing Wednesday. She was attended by a surgeon, but got
worse up to her death.
Mr. W. T. Callan, surgeon, said he was called to de-
ceased on the Sunday, the 22d September. He found her
flooding, and faint from loss of blood. He attended her
up to the time of her death. Sbe was delivered of a dead
male child, three days after. Fever afterwards ensued,
and she died yesterday (Wednesday) morning. He made
a post mortem examination, and found the cause of death
to be inflammation of the womb. He was decidedly of
opinion that the inflammation alluded to was not set uP
either by protracted labour or natural causes, but the
result of external violence. He was of opinion that an
injury received three weeks before the deceased was deli-
vered might set up the inflammation. When he was first
called, he found considerable flooding, which had been
going on for some time, and which would tend to keep
down the inflammation.

Mrs. Gillis called several witnesses, but their evidence
did not materially affect the case.
The Coroner summed up with great precision. and the
jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Catherine
Gillis, acquitting the daughter Qwiggin of a•dinz and
abetting in the act. The prisoner, who at the close of
the proceedings became very violent, was committed L°
take her trial at the Assizes, and was conveyed to
jtirk-
dale Gaol.