The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-30 00:00:00

THE WALLASEY DOCKS. AS SANCTIONED
BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT.

Notwithstanding all the interest which has been at-
tracted to this undertaking, we suspect that not only a
a great majority of the public, but many even amongst
those by whom it is most loudly advocated, are at the
present 'moment unaware of the shape in which it has
received the sanction of the legislature. We propose to
supply this information, obtained from authentic sources;
and this day present ear readers with a plan of the in-
tended new works, and a few explanatory remarks which
are necessary to render such plan intelligible. In per-
forming the latter duty we shall avoid as much as possible
giving anything like an opinion of our own, which may be
liable to bias for or against the scheme ; but endeavour
to confine ourselves to a bare statement of facts, leaving
it for the public themselves to form their own judge-
ment thereupon.
Our readers who are acquainted with the localities of
the river Mersey will perceive even from this imperfect
plan, the present shores of the estuary called Wallasey
Pool, upon which these works are proposed to be formed.
When first the scheme was projected it was proposed to
run the proposed sea wall direct from a point south of
SeacornbeFerry Tier, nearly at low water in spring tides,
to a point about a hundred and fifty feet north from Wood-
side Pier, and :a little below low water mark at spring
tides, leaving a central entrance from the river, 300 feet
wide, to a low water basis 500 feet wide, and containing
an area of :37 acres. In the present plan, however, it
will be seen that the form of this entrance has been mate-
rially altered, by a large slice of wall and a corner on the
north (100 feet of projection) being taken away, and the
entire sea wall from the southern corner of the entrance
being thrownback—with a similar removal of 100 feet of
projection—the entrance itself being thus rendered of
equal width with the basin, and the wall being made to
converge inward. This alteration was made at the sug-
gestion of the Admiralty.
In the " great low water basin," with the exception of
the widening of the entrance, no material alteration has
been made from the first plan. It is intended to be kept
with 12 feet of water at low water spring tides, by means
Communicating with the south end of this basin by a lock
mplaannnebreoffowuhnicdhinwoepsheraaltlidvee
,sebriybderbeedlgoiwng).;
surrounded with quay room which the scheme affords);
and by a pair of gates 70 feet wide, and another lock 50
3ooOrf'sfelsuehitcowiunligdde (tihtshaaet three acre dock, (the only enclosed dock
feet wide, the basin communicates with the float or
reservoir above, which is intended to have an area of 150
acres, at the level at which the water will be retained per-
manently, the bottom part of which (from the dotted line
in the plan, will be excavated to within two feet of the
outer basin, for the working of the sluices. These are
marked on the plan, and consist of tunnels constructed in
the masonry of the large dam dividing the southern head
of the basin from the float, and are expected, when let off
every half ebb, to create a sufficient subaqueous scour to
keep the basin to its proper depth of 12 feet at low spring
tides. The margin on both sides of the upper float is left
by the bill to be dealt with by private enterprise. With
the quantity of water which is to be permanently re-
tained, (the remainder being let off every half ebb) it will
have an average depth across of four feet, the margin
being of course dry, and the middle proportionably deep
to form that average.
Thus, then, we have, from the scheme, of enclosed
dock space three acres only, unless it can be said that the
twelve acre half tide basin at the bottom of the float is
such dock space. There is, to be sure, the semi-enclosed
" great low water basin," with its 37 acres of area, and
nearly 4,000 feet of wharfage, which wharfage, however,
is materially diminished in value by the fact of the basin
itself having upwards of 30 feet surface rise and fall every
tide, and its advantages being thus restricted to the fact
of its affording a harbour of refuge. It is only fair, too,
to mention that vessels lying here at low water, or after
half ebb, will have to encounter the action of the sub-
aqueous river formed by the sluices from the upper duck.
Clearly, for loading or unloading merchant vessels, this
basin will be most inconvenient; and we find accordingly
that its uses are mainly insisted upon as applicable to the
wants of our steamers, which can get in at all weathers,
and land their mail bags and passengers with greater fa-
cility than is now afforded them.
It will be seen from the Ulan that both south and north
of the " great low water basin," a large plot of land,
amounting in all to about 120 acres, will be recovered
from the sea. A most important boon the possession of
this new land would have been to the projectors; and in
the first notice which we gave of this'cheme in the co-
lumns of the STANDARD, we gave their estimate of its
value to them at upwards of a million sterling, which
would have gone far to guarantee the prosperity of the
entire works. But, unfortunately, it has resulted, from
the attention called to the project, that the Commissioners
of Woods and Forests (whose property the strand of this
estuary happens to be) have claimed the rich prize offered
to them, on the behalf of the crown, from whom it must
be purchased before any profitable use can be made of it
by the Commissioners of Birkenhead. It was upon the
southern portion of this land that, on the original plan,
graving docks, building yards and warehouses were laid
out; sites for all which must now be looked for else-
where. We have been particular in referring to this
feature of the project, inasmuch as, up to this mo-
ment, a great number of persons believe that this
land is the proparty of the commissioners,
and more
oris
to be purchased by them for an old song ;s
would lead to the ready suppo-
ietealfsleawett lali,rn,,k2:lobodo7laael
breadth
theira nd breadth
so
gesinpaelcia.llyasit
t
suppo-
sition that t
Nothing can be more contrary to fact
we now
othe f ht,haespwrecilsaearintghhetmsoroife.
"wharf" room.
than this; for ehwelevphlfioailniedw, of it is to be available as quay or
s
ttah
tee
d to themcommissioners
b ay
restricted,
distinctlyaetdshtee exatvne dod:al dnaagtnddtotilwteFnoi,,sr,:bsytbsyc,
wharfs"l
aa
tsui,sfeeo
osl
lsfoadwtmi
the
parliamentary plan,
gr
th
clauses,
Alsti
pro-
fitable
adrl
uioaacsllnt
el lgobsy w:eaahiselreidej are even
expressly
amirv'dseeoeesnal decks,
lktpyosof the
theset3 boundaries
enjoined,ne ladot aors
warehouses or
buildings, other titan sheds or huts, shall be erected upon
any of the said quays." Anything like dock warehouses,
therefore, must be constructed higher up the Pool, unless
this land can be purchased advantageously from the Woods
and Forests. At present no powers are taken for the
construction of such warehouses, even around the only
water space which appears suited for them, viz., the
three-acre dock.

The upper float containing, as upon the plan, 150 acres
at the level at which the water will be permanently re-
tained, is left as we have already explained, to be dealt
with by the private enterprise of the various owners of
its strand, who will construct such sea walls, quays, &0.,
as they may think fit. It is intimated, indeed, that the
rights of these various owners will ultimately be pur-
chased by a company, by whom it will be laid out upon
a comprehensive plan, for the general accommodation of
the trade of the river, the erection of warehouses, &c.
At present it merely serves to bold suspended the water
required for sluicing purposes, and to allow vessels of
inconsiderable burthen to lie up; and until greatly deepened
can obviously serve for few other purposes, except at par-
ticular periods of the tide, when there is sufficient water
in the pool to allow the wharfs, &c., which may be erected
along its margin to be approached.
We have now said as much as we think will be neces-
sary to enable the reader to form a proper judgement
with respect to the principal features of the plan ; and we
trust we have been guided in our remarks by a spirit of
fairness. We have no wish, now that the sanction of the
Legislature has been received.for it, to war against this
favorite project of our Cheshire neighbours ; but, on the
contrary, would right gladly see it successfully carried
out, with advantage to themselves, to the trade of our
river, (the common fostering parent of all the prosperity
which they and we enjoy), and without the realization of
those fears for existinginterests, which, sincerely enter-
taining, we have felt it our duty, from time to time, as
public Journalists, fearlessly and candidly to express. A
very short time, we understand, will see the works fairly
in course of formation, and we need scarcely say that
we shall watch their progress with interest and great
anxiety.

REFXRENCES TO MAr.-A. Gough's Hotel. B. B. Sluices•
C. 3-acre enclosed Dock. D. D. Gate 70 feet wide.

MISCELLANEOUS.

CIRENCESTER.—Mr. Master, one of the representatives
for this borough, has resigned. Lord Villiers, the eldest
son of the Earl of Jersey, and the son-in-law of Sir
Robert Peel, is the only candidate in the field.
FATAL PRIZE FlGHT.—Yesterday week, a man of the
name of Fitzhugh was killed in a prize fight, in the neigh-
bourhood of Northampton. A verdict of wilful murder
has been returned against his opponent, and against seven.
other persons as seconds and accessories.
STRANGE PROCEEDING.—A dispute arose a few weeks
ago between the members of a Dissenting Meeting-house
in the parish of Clydau, the one party wishing to rebuild
their place of worship, and the other opposing it on the
plea of the poverty of the country. The no-building
party carried the day. That same night the Meeting-,
house was levelled with the ground !11 There being
some veteran Rebeccaites amongst the discomfited party,
it is more than conjectured that they were the levellers.—
Carmarthen Journal.
THE DUKE OF SUSSEX'S LIBRARY.—On Saturday
took place at Evans's, Pall-mall, the 24th and last day's
sale of the first, or " Theological," part of the library of
the late Duke of Sussex. The proceeds of the 25 days'
sale, are £8,308 4s. The whole library, on the valuation
of it preparatory to it being offered to the Government,
agreeably to the Duke's will, to be purchased for the
nation, was under £16,000. The next portion of the
library that will be brought to the hammer will be the
manuscripts, consisting of early copies of the Old and
New Testament, and portions thereof, That sale consists
of 510 lots, and will occupy four days.
CHEAP PLEASURE TRIPS ON THE MANCHESTER AND'
LEEDS RAILWAY.—A few weeks ago some teachers of
the Sunday schools at Dewsbury determined to give their
scholars a treat to Hull or Liverpool, on the 25th of July,
being Dewsbury feast, which was taken up by some other
schools, and trains were engaged for both places last week.
On comparing books it was found that tickets had been
sold in such quantities at Wakefield, Huddersfield, and all
the towns and villages in the neighbourhood of Dewsbury,
that it was arranged to divide the trains. On Thursday
morning the Wesleyans and their friends, to the number
of 3000, had a trip to Hull, whilst the scholars from
Cleckbeaton and other places, amounting to 2,800, went
to Liverpool. On Friday morning the Independents had
a trip to Hull, and the Primitive Methodists and others to
Liverpool. When the Thursday's train passed Wakefield
for Hull, it was drawn by three engines, and consisted of
57 carriages.
PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BILL.--A bill to enable pri-
vate partnerships to sue and be sued in the name of the
firm, has been prepared and brought in by Mr. W. Glad-
stone, and Sir George Clerk. It enacts, that where any
person carrying on any trade or business, or being enga-
ged in any adventure or undertaking in partnership in
England, either before the passing of this act, or at any
time after the passing thereof, and not being established
for the purpose of carrying on the business of banking,
and not being such partnerships as would come within the
definition of a joint-stock company in the act just passed
for the registration of joint-stock companies, shall, at any
time after the Ist day of January next, produce to the
registrar of joint-stock companies, appointed under and
by virtue of the said act, a certificate setting forth the
nature of the business, undertaking, or adventure, and
the principal or only place of carrying on the same (if
any), the names of the several partners, and their respec-
tive residences and occupations, and the name of the firm
under which the same business, undertaking, or adven-
ture is carried on. and the event or mode by which such
such partnership is to be determined, then and thereupon
such registrar shall deliver to the said parties a certificate
stating the name of the firm and the names of the part-
ners, and certifying that such firm had been registered,
and for such certificate a. fee of z£l shall be paid. The
bill then enables the firm so registered to sue and be
sued, &c.
THE QUEEN'S HEALTH.—Her Majesty still continues
to be in the enjoyment of as good health as can be ex-
pected in her present interesting situation. Upon the
forthcoming, as upon all preceding occasions of the ac-
couchement of our beloved Sovereign, some three or four
females were recommended by Her Majesty's medical
advisers to act in the highly responsible situation of wet
nurse to the :loyal infant, an appointment which is
greatly prized in consequence of its lucrative character,
both present and remote. Mrs. Connop, the wife of Mr.
Connop, of Dorset place, was one of the parties who had
been recommended to the notice of her Majesty, and ap-
artments in the town of 'Windsor for Mrs. Connop were
consequently engaged for her accouchement, by her hus-
band. In the early part of last week, however, Mr.
Brown, surgeon to the Royal household at Windsor
Castle, was commanded to engage suitable and conveni-
ently situated apartments in the town, and as near as pos-
sible to the Royal residence, for another female, whose
confinement was daily expected, and who would most
probably be appointed her Majesty's wet nurse ; but it
having been considered, by the Queen's advisers, that
the female should be accommodated in the immediate re-
cinity of the Castle, so as to be close at hand when re-
quired, Mrs. Perkins (the female in question) was taken
upon her arrival at "Windsor (from her residence near
Camberwell) to the wardrobe tower, occupied by Lady
Barrington, one of the Bedchamber Ladies to her Ma-
jesty, where she was brought to bed of a fine healthy boy,
on Friday morning last, and only within a short period of
her arrival within the precincts of the Royal palace.
Both the mother and child are doing well. Her Majesty
has caused several inquiries to be made as to the state of
health of Mrs. Perkins since Friday last, who will be re-
moved into the Castle in_rnediately after her Majesty's
accouchement taking place. Mrs. Lilly will be her Ma-
esty's monthly nurse ; Mrs. Driscol, nurse to the Royal
infant ; and Miss Whiting, it is understood, the daughter
of one of the Queen's pages of the back stairs, has just
had conferred upon her, by her Majesty, the appointment
in the RoN al nursery of one or the rockers.
BATH CHAMPAGNE.—It will be seen by an advertise-
ment in another column, that Mr. W. W. King, of Soho-
street, has been appointed agent for this excellent article.
Bath Champagne is decidedly the best British wine ever
offered to the public ; and its moderate price, and close
resemblance to the real article, must render its adoption
universal.
THEATRE-ROYAL,WILLIAMSON-SQUARE.-011 Tues-
day evening we had an opportunity of witnessing, for the
first time, the performances of Mr. Charles Pitt and Miss
E. Moatague, in Bulwer's play of The Lady of Lyon&, in
in which the former, at the close of last season, made
a very successful debut. On this occasion we are cer-
tainly not able to say that Mr. Pitt's Claude Melnot le,
was all that we could wish, although as a whole the cha-
racter has seldom been better brought before an audience
either here or in the metropolis. Of one or two passages
of the piece, the eclaircissement scene for instance, a
little more blight be made by him, without doing violence
to the character; and we noticed at times a slight dispo-
sition to rant, which he would do well to subdue. These,
however were merely trifling blemishes in a performance
otherwise faultless and which indicated powers in the
actor, which qualify him for the highest walks of' his
profession. Miss Montague's impersonation of the
heroine of the piece was a beautiful piece of acting, and
stamped her as an actress of a very high order.
On Wednesday the play of the Stranger was excellently
performed, the same lady and gentleman taking the parts
of Mrs. Hailer and the Stranger. We never witnessed
the piece in greater perfection, and may safely predict for
boto a high place in the estimation of the play-going
public of Liverpool. The houses on neither evening were
good, but we trust such a circumstance will not occur
when the merits of the performers become better known.
We ought, at any rate, have no more complaints of the
lack of regular drama on our boards if our fellow-towns-
men will not appreciate it, when offered to them of first
rate quality. On Thursday the new opera of the Bohe-
mianB, by Mr. Balfe, was played the first time before a
fashionable and numerous audiences, and has since been
repeated with deserved applause and increasing support.
It is a splendid opera, full of beautiful music, and rich
both in solo and chorusses. We need scarcely say that
it was performed in a manner worthy of its great excel-
lence, when we enumerate as the singers sustaining the
principal characters, Miss Rainforth, Messrs. Harrison
and Stretton, and Mr. Morley of our own company, who
appeared to no disadvantage even by the side of stars so
resplendent. The whole company acquitted themselves
well ; and the piece, we venture to say, will have a run,
which it heartily deserves. Last night we were happy to
observe that the house was overflowing in all parts.

iLtteraturc.

POETRY:

THE CHIEF OF WATERLOO.

BY ROBERT STORY, ESQ.

We will not—seed not—name him;
Ills de ds shall live in fame
When those that dare to blame him
Have neither place nor name.
But thinking. as we think him,
To Britain's g:ory true.
In flowing cups we'll drink him—
The Chief of Water.oo t

To fields of fame he led not
Ambition's r.rathered might;
His faithful legions bled not
lint for his country's right.
Her hirrh, devoted Inver,
For that his blade he drew ;
And stainless I,nrels c-ver
The Chief of Watertu., 1

Like kin: unmatched on ocean,
Ne son of the land,
By ore re i thy's cevotion
Left no work for his brand.
But, happier than the seaman,
He lives with honours due,
The pride of every tree man,
The thief of waterloo I

THE DYING SPANIEL.

[The following; very beautiful and touching verses are extracted
fr m a recently-published volume of p ,etry. by Dr. Muir, of
Edinburgh, the" Delta," in Blackwood's Magazine.]

Ord Oscar, Ir,w feel ly thou crawl'st to the door,
Tbou who wert all beauty and vigour of yore;
How slow is thy stagger the sunshine to find,
And thy str w. pritiklcd pallet—how crippled and blind!
But thy heart is s ill living—thou Nearest my voi .e
And thy faint wagging tail says thou yet canst iejoice;
Ah I how different art thou from the Oscar of old,
The sleek and the gamesome, the swift and the bold !

At sunrise I wakened to hear thy proud back,
With the coo of the Iviuse-dove. the lay of the lark;
And out to the greet, fields 'twas ours to repair,
When sunrise with glory empurpied the air;
And the streamtet flowed down in its g Id to the sea
And the night-dew like diamond spa, ks gleam'd from the tree
And the sky o'er the earth in such purity glowed,
As if angels, not men, on its surface abode!

How then thou would'st g mhol. and start from my feet,
To scare the wild birds from their sylvan retreat ;
Or plunge in the smooth stream. and ring to my hand
The twig or the wild-flower I threw from the land :
On the moss-sprinkled stone it I sat for a space,
Thou would'st crouch on the Bret nswdrd, anti gaze in my face.
Then in wontonness pluck up the blooms in thy teeth,
And toss them above thee, or tread them beneath.

Then I was a schoolboy all thoughtless and free,
And thou wort a e help lull of gambol and glee;
Now dim is thine eyeball, a d grizzled thy hair,
And I am a man, and of grief have my share !
Thou br tig'st to my mind ad the pleasures of youth.
When Hope was the mi,tress. not handmaid of Truth;
When Earth looked an den, when Joy's sunny hours
Were cloudless, and every path glowing with flowers.

Now Summer is waning; soon tempest and rain
Shall harbinger des- late Winter again,
And thou, all unable its gripe to withstand,
Shalt die, when the snow-mantle garments the land:
Then thy grave shall be dug 'neath the old cherry tree,
Which in spring-time will shed down its blossoms on thee
And, when a few fast-fleeting seasons re o'er.
Thy faith and thy form shall be thought of no more !

Then all who caressed thee e n d loved, shall be laid,
Life's pilgrimage o'er, in the tomb's dreary shade;
Other steps shall be heard o these floors. and the past
Be like yesterday's clouds from the memory cast :
Improvements will follow ; old walls be throw n down,
Old landmarks removed, when old masters are gone;
And the garti'ner. when delving, will marvel to see
WrAte bones where once blossomed the old cherry tree !

Frail things ! could we read but the objer•ts around,
In the meanest some eep.lurking truth might be found,
Some type of our trail! y. some warning to show
How shifting the sands are we build on below ;
Our fathers have passed, and have mixed with the mould—
Year presses on year, till the young ecome old ;
Time, though a st‘ rn teacher, is partial to none ;
And the friend and the foe pass away one by one !

SELECTIONS.

LORD ELDON'S EARLY DAYS.

In the autumn of 1779 he did not go the circuit. He
had burrowed money from William for so many of these
journeys, and earned nothing by them, that he could not
make up his mind to apply again : and on discovering why
he had staid in town, William writes thus to their younger
brother Henry :—" I heartily wish that business may
brisken a little, or he will be utterly sick of his profession.
I do all I can to keep up his spirits, but be is very
gloomy."
Meantime a certain solitary case which he had argued
in the Rolls Court in 1778 was about who heard on appeal
in the House of Lords. In that case he had urged a point
not only not suggested in his brief, but entirely discoun-
tenanced by the solicitor. The Master of the Rolls de-
cided against him. His own client disapproved of the ap-
peal, which was the act of another party. Mr. Scott was
desired to state at the bar of the House of Lords that his
client " consented." He insisted on restating his point.
The solicitor smiled, but allowed him to do so—it could
not make things worse than they were already—he should,
however, have no better fee than one guinea. Behold,
Lord Thurlow listened very earnestly—took three days to
consider—reversed the decree of the Rolls Court solely
on Mr. Scott's argument ; and this decision of Lord
Thurlow has regulated all similar questions since that
day, March 4, 1780. Th's was the case of Ackroyd versus
Smithson. Lord Eldon's account concludes thus:—
" As I left the Hall a respectable solic;tor, of the name
of Forster, came up and touched me on the shoulder, and
said, Yount man, your bead and butter is cut for life.'"
Nevertheless, matters were so little mended, that when
about the Christmas of that year the recordership of New-
castle became vacant, arid his f iends procured him an offer
of it, he signified la's acceptance of the situation. The
salary was small, but he thought he should have a fair
chance of some pro‘in ial business besides, and the
temptation was irresistible. A house was taken for him
at Newcastle—he was engaged in preparations for imme-
diate removal. This was the state of things when he went
to bed on the night of the 13th of March, 1781. Next
morning at six o'clock—thus "Lord Eldon told the story a
few weeks before his death to one of his family:—
" Mr. (afterwards Lord) Curzon, and four or five gen-
tlemen came to my door and awoke me, and when I in-
quired what they waited, they stated that the Clitheroe
election case was to come on that morning at ten o'clock,
before a committee of the House of Commons, that Mr.
Cooper had written to say he was det-ained at Oxford by
illness and could not arrive to 1 'ad the cause, and that Mr.
Hardinee, the next connsel, refused to do so, because he
was not prepared. Well, gentlemen,' said I, what do
you expect me to do, that you are here ?' They answered,
they did not know what to expect or to do, for the cause
must come on at ten o'clock, and they were totally unpre-
pared, and had been recommended to me, as a young and
promising counsel.' I answered, I wilt tell you what I
can do. I can undertake to make a dry statement of facts,
if that n ill content you, gentlemen, but more I cannot do,
for I he ye no time to make myself acquainted with the
law.' Ihey said that must du; so 1 begged they would
20 down stairs and let me get up, as fast as I could. Well,
I did state the facts, and the cause went on for fifteen days.
It found me poor enough, but I began to be rich before it
was done: :hey left me fifty guineas at the beginning;
then there were ten guineas every day, and five guineas
every evening for a consultation—more money than I
could count. But, better still, the length of the cause
i
gave me time to make myself thoroughly acqu nt!d with
the law. . . . We were beaten in tile committee by
one vote. . . After this speech, Mansfield, after-
wards Sir James Mansfield, came up to me in Westmin-
ster Hall, and sa'd he heard that I was going to leave Lon-
don, hut stninaly advised me to rea ain in London. I
told him that I could not, that I had taken a house in
Newcastle, that I had an increasing family, in short, that
I was compelled to quit London. Afterwards Wilson
came to me and pressed me in the same manner to remain
in London, adding what was very kind, ' that be would
ensure me £4OO the next year.' I gave him the same an-
swer as I had given Mansfield. However, I did remain
in London, and lived to make Mansfield Chief Justice of
the Common Pleas, and Wilson a Puisne Judge."
Lord Mansfield used to say he had known no interval
between no business at all and £3OOO a-year. Mr. Scott's
advance in the profession seems to have been hardly less
rapid. By 1783, at the age of thirty-two, he had a silk
gown, and was at the head of the Northern Circuit. Great
and lucrative as his practice soon came to be, it must have
been infinitely more gainful but for ae rare delicacy of
his professional conscience. No fees had he from the ex-
tensive firm of " Snap, Gammon, and Quirk." Of one
very rich branch of business, of which he might have en-
grossed the lion's share if he pleased, he had, after a very
little while, next to nothing—the business of " answering
questions." He would sign no opinion on a point of law
without a thorough examination of authorities ; he would
sign none b 8 to the probable issue of a case set before him,
without sifting the facts so minutely, and suggesting the
effect of so many possibly omitted particulars, that even
solicitors of the higher class recoiled : it was as if, seek-
ing an advocate, they had stumbled in limine on a judge.
At the bar itself he appears to have, from the first, acted
on a system equally scrupulous. We find him at a very
early period taking to task a friendly senior, in the full
career of eminence, for some such laxity of forensic ethics
as even Dr. Johnson has countenanced, and compelling
the reluctant confession—" Master Scott, you have en-
sured me an uneasy pillow." He never could be brought
to understand that it was consistent with the honour of
a gentleman to misrepresent in the slightest degree either
law to a judge or facts to a jury.—Life of Lord .Eldon.

CHlNtat CIRCUMSPECTION.—Nothing that happens in
this world ought to be looked upon as of no consequence ;
let the affair 1 trifling or important, all ought to be con-
sidered essential, and be treated with that careful
attention, which to what I may call respect.
It is with this revereneenttsha monarch ought to watch
over his own person in his leisurets' moments, and that he
ought to treat affairs as they arrive, giving them the same
attention at their conclusion their commencement.
Ile should bear in mind that matters must remain for
ever in the situation which he has arranged onttriievme to avoid
; by this
unvarying consistency he will easily
faults. If he applies to business with this attention, this
earnestness, and if to it he unites a heart divest of passioni
like the head of a family in his own house, he will withoAi
difficulty introduce good government into the •
empire.
This is precisely what en ancient saga has said, " Self-
respect renders a man upright and pure." It is written
in the first page of the Le-ke, "Be careful to be reverent.';
In this maxim alone the wise author of the work has found
the means of concentrating the profoundest doctrine.

STUPENDOUS CHINESE UNDERTAKING.—His pro-
ject was to make a great road, straight, broad, and level,
from the town of Kieou-yuen, which is now Tcho-tcheou,
about thirty-six miles from the town of Peking, to Yun-
yang, of the district of King-tcheou at the present time;
which made a distance of 1800 les, or about 600 English
miles. To make this road according to the emperor's
wishes, it was necessary to pierce through mountains, fill
up valleys, and throw a great number of bridges over tor-
rents and rivers, drain marshes, and plant trees the whole
distance along the two sides ; it was to be like the prin-
cipal walk of a large garden for foot passengers, and to
have in addition all the requisite conveniences for carriages
and vehicles of every description. It is not easy to ima-
gine the number of men whom it is necessary to employ
for a work of this description.—Captain Pidding's
Chinese Olio.

LONGEVITY OF PRESBYTERIANISM.—Long before
Luther was born, Presbyterianism had become strong and
mature. During the dark ages, when Popery ruled the
world, Presbyterianism was living among the persecuted
Waldenses. In the ages of primitive Christianity,
Presbyterianism was the form of government and " the
sect everywhere spoken against;" and before the birth of
the babe of Bethlehem, in the synagogues of the Jews,
Presbyterian elders ruled, and the Presbyterian discipline
was maintained among the God-beloved descendants of
Abraham. They were not afraid to bring their form of
church government to the standard of the word of God.
Talk to them of the flower of their English nobility ; why
these men were the mushroom growth of yesterday com-
pared to Presbyterianism ! The poorest Presbyterian
could boast a long line of ancestry, stretching away beyond
the guessings of the catalogue. He was the seed of noble
fathers ; he could give evidence of his genealogy, not
merely by showing that the tree took root among the
disciples in the sands at the time of Christ, but by exhi-
biting evidence of an unbroken genealogy for thousands
of generations. That Presbyterianism which flourished
in the days of th' Apostles was traceable down through all
the time of tribulation to the present day and present
hour.—Speech of the Rev. Dr. Edgar in Liverpool.

MODE OF TEACHING GEOGRAPHY IN PRUSSIA.—
Geography was taught principally by delineations on the
blaek-board,—and here the skill in drawing of teacher
and pupil was employed with admirable service. One of
these lessons is described. The teacher, after looking his
class into eager readiness, made on the board a series of
those lines and shadings employed by map-engravers to
represent a chain of mountains. Scarcely had the out-
lines become visible when the scholars began to cry out,
Carpathian Mountains, Hungary ; Black Forest Moun-
tains, Wurtemburg, &c. But the remainder of this ani-
mated scene we must transcribe:—" In less than half a
minute the ridge of that grand central elevation which
separates the waters that flow North-west into the Ger-
man ocean, from those that flow North into the Baltic,
and South-east into the Black Sea, was presented to view,
—executed almost as beautifully as an engraving. A
dozen strokes, made in the twinkling of an eye, represented
the head-waters of the great rivers which flow in different
directions from that mountainous range ; while the chii-
dren almost as eager and excited as though they had ac-
tually seen the torrents dashing down the mountain sides,
cried out, Danube, Elbe, Vistula, Oder, &c. The next
moment I heard a succession of mailer strokes or taps,
so rapid as to be almost indistinguishable, and hardly had
my eye time to discern a large number of dots made along
the margins of the rivers, when the shout of Lintz, Vienna,
Prague, Dresden, Berlin, &c., struck my ear."—Chris-
tian Teacher.

MOSQUES IN DAMASCUS.—The mosques in the city
are numerous, and the principal ones are very fine; but
they lose much of their effect from the confined space in
which they stand. Christians are not allowed to visit
their interior, nor is it safe for them to pause too long in
passing before them. The great mosque was once the
cathedral of St. John, and is said to be the largest and
most splendid of all the churches erected by the early
Christians in this country. The mosque of the durweeshes
has the finest minarets in Damascus, and another is re-
markable for having its minarets, which are of a great
height and grandeur, cased with enamelled tiles of a rich
green colour: the reflection of the sunshine from this
iridescent surface produces a splendid effect. Many of
the mosques were built by the caliphs as mausoleums;
they possess courts, porticos, and fountains, and some are
overshadowed by a few green trees, among which sacred
doves may be heard cooing. The great mosque stands on
an elevated position nearly in the centre of the city. It
was once surrounded by an open area, but this is now so
encumbered with buildings that the gate can only be ap-
proached through a bazaar filling up an arcade of ancient
columns, perhaps the remains of a stately entrance. The
outer court, which is very spacious, is paved with marble ;
it has a large fountain in the middle, and on three sides a
cloister consisting of two tiers of pointed arches, sup-
ported by Corinthian columns. Mr. Buckingham, who
enjoyed the rare privilege of inspecting the interior of the
building, speaks of its vast dimensions as most imposing.
—Library of Travel.

- -
PRAYER AND PENANCE BY PROXY.—Praying by proxy
is not at all uncommon in Ireland. Thus, if a person has
any urgent business or recreation on hand, preventive of
going to mass and performing the proper number of Ayes
and genuflexions, he or she hires a substitute, generally a
mendicant, who, for a trifline recompense, goes through,
with most conscientious punctuality, the vicarious duties
of the holy service committed to their charge. The
prayer by proxy is considered to be nearly as efficacious
as that delivered up in propria persona. But the penance
by proxy goes a step further, and shifts the burthen of
actual suffering or punishment from the shoulders of the
rich to those of the poor ! The following anecdote.
abridged from the Rev. Mr. Otway's Ascent to Croagh
Patrick. will illustrate the penance by proxy system :
" A little puffy, barrel-bodied attorney, hired a guide to
conduct him up the mountain. The little man grunted,
groaned, panted, and perspired—' larding the lean moun-
tain,' as they ascended. The guide did his best to alleviate
his difficulties, and at length they came to the well, where
St. Patrick made his first stop, when proceeding to disen-
chant the mountain. Here the little tourist was in a
pretty plight, like a tallow candle in a hot tavern ! Well,'
says the guide to himself, this dacent man is certainly
doing penance for some great sin, and the poor simple
sowl doesn't know that I could put him out of pain for a
few shillings ' • it is a wonder all out that some one, even
if the priest hadn't the good nathur, would not tell him
that there's many a one about here that would do th-e
dhurrus for him. So its myself that'll have the innocent
fellow out of his trouble in a jiffy.' So with that the
guide came up to him where he sat wiping with his silk
handkerchief his reeking, streaming head and neck. Why
then, your honour, I wonder you'd be after thinking of
going up yon mountain, and working tho' all its stations,
when you know that i'll go up for you and do dhurrus with
all the veins in my heart.' What do you mean ?' says
the attorney. 'You go up for me!" Yes, plase your
honour, and that I will, and you may sit there quietly
until I come back, not a one I'll miss—look at my knees
when I return, and see if they're not battered and bleed-
ing enough to place pees." Why what, honest man, do
you mean ? can you see for me—can you admire for roe—
can your going up enable me to say, when I go home,
that I have been at the top of Croagh Patrick ?" Ah,
then, says the guide, is that all that brings you to the
Reek—myself thought ye were a religious man, and that
gees were undher vows or orthers to perform stations here,
and sure all the world knows that I could do all that for
yees, and chape enough—ay chaper and just as well as
ever Rob of the Reek did, rest be to his sowl, and the
heavens his bed.' " Now, considering the state of Ire-
land—the destitution of the poor—and the want of em-
ployment—this proxy-prayer, and proxy-penance, seem
to be useful items in the pipular practice of religion, as
giving an occasional job, however painful, to the idle and
starving pauper.—Dr. James Johnson's Tour in Ireland.

A MISNOMER.

Inaptly is the Captain named,
As if all fitness scorning;
For Warner, to be justly famed,
Must strike, and give no warning.

STATE OF LARGE TOWNS.

The commissioners appointed by her majesty's letters
patent dated May, 1843, for inquiring into the present
state of large towns and populous d;stricts, have just pre-
sented their first report. The objects of the inquiry were
very extensive. The commissioners were instructed to
investigate the present state of large towns and populous
districts " with reference to the causes of disease among
the inhabitants, and into the best means of promoting and
securing the public health under the operation of the laws
and regulations now in force, and the usages at present
prevailing with regard to the drainage of lands ; the
erection, drainage, and ventilation of buildings, and the
supply of water in such towns and districts, whether for
purposes of health or for the better protection of property
from fire ; and bow far the public health and the condition
of the poorer classes of the people of this realm, and the
salubrity and safety of their dwelling, may be promoted
by the amendment of such laws, regulations and usages."
—The commissioners are the Duke of Buccleuch ; the
Earl of Lincoln ; R. A. Slaney ; Major Graham, the
registrar general ; Sir Henry de la Beebe, the geologist ;
Dr. Lyon Playfair, and Dr. D. B. Reid, chemists : Pro-
fessor Owen ; Captain W. T. Denison, royal engineers;
J. R. Martin, surgeon ; Mr. J. Smith, of Deanston ;
Robert Stephenson, jun., the engineer ; William Cubitt,
the architect, and arvey Hobhouse, secretary. It will be
perceived that the commission comprises men of con-
siderable eminence in their various spheres of know-
ledge, but it is remarkable that an inquiry into the
state of the public health and its causes should be
entrusted to a body containing among its members only
one medical practitioner, the only member of the medical
profession, except Mr. Martin, being Professor Owen.
who is known principally as a comparative anatomist, and
does not, we believe, practise either medicine or surgery.
The commissioners appear, however, to have endeavoured
to supply this very serious omission in the original con-
stitution of their body, by applications to numerous
members of the profession for assistance and informa-
tion, which have been freely given and fully acknow-
ledged.
it has been a matter of regret to many parties interested
in this subject, that the commission did not report and
recommend some legislative enactment to remedy the
evils it has exposed at the beginning of the year, but have
delayed till the end of the session to present the result of
part of the inquiry only, without any recommendations
whatever, This appears in the shape of a mass of evi-
dence, occupying 437 large folio pages, with an appen-
dix of 212 pages. The commissioners, however, have
perhaps adopted the wisest course in not offering any re-
commendations, the subjects of inquiry having turned out
much more extensive and complicated than could have
been at first anticipated. Besides, in order to secure the
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