The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-30 00:00:00

rervative portion of the British people to put down
't•3 cornhintion of bloodsucking usurers, and to
scout from amongst us the heartless philosophy,
wiJi which they are attempting to dray their duped
followers.

At all events, and whatever be the course pursued
by the Conservative public, the independent BRI-
TISH PRESS must do its duty. The Manchester
Courier does not stand alone in the war with which
we are threatened. Already another journal in our
own town—the Liverpool Mail—has been picked
out for prosecution by the same lawyers employed
by Mr. John Brooks (one of whom, by the way, is
Mr. Cobden's brother-in-law ; whilst we ourselves
have had significant hints that we are not likely to
be spared. The Conservative press, in self-defence,
therefore, must be organized against these move-
ments to destroy its liberties; and, as the first step,
we would suggest an immediate meeting of proprie-
tors, to be held in some locality convenient for the
whole body throughout the kingdom, to prepare mea-
sures to meet the crisis which is approaching them.

The fact is now palpable. The League and the
liberty, of the British press cannot co-exist. WHICH
IS TO GIVE WAY ?

On Wednesday, we observe by the placards on the
walls, the public of Liverpool are to be enlightened
by a meeting of " the friends of civil and religious
liberty," to protest against the proceedings taken by
the government in Ireland upon the pending trials
of the repeal conspirators. We are to have a howl
raised, of course, upon the subject of the omission
from the jury panel of the sixty-nine names, of
which the friends of civil and religious liberty will
no doubt attribute a guilty knowledge, and perhaps
direct participation, to the authorities in Dublin;

and the challenges of the names of repealers on the
list is to be made into a great popish grievance—a

virtual repeal of the Emancipation Act—an insult
to the frequenters of the mass-house and the con-
venticle, not to be forgiven.

It is certainly of little moment to us what may be
the charges brought, or the representations made,
or who may be the spouters at this gathering of the
men "of all denominations." Bu, this much we
suggest to them beforehand and publicly, that they
should state their complaint fairly; and we will in
addition remind them of a circumstance or two
which they must not lose sight of. In the first
place, let them remember the movement by the
repeal party, which had for its avowed objects
in which however they were defeated, the swamping
of the panel with pledged repealers. Let them re-
member that, to enable the traversers to avail them-
selves of this new list, the trials were fixed at a later
date than that at which they might have been
brought on. Let them remember that, notwith-
standing this, the counsel for the traversers agreed,
when their vexatious opposition to the existing jury
had been defeated, to go back to the original list,
which had been declaimed against as a Conservative
list; and with respect to the omitted names, let it
be distinctly stated that of these only 15 were Ro-
man Catholics. Moreover, with respect to the par.

ties blameable for the omission of these names from
the juror's book, let them tell their motley audience
that a portion of the sin has been already acknow-
ledged to by a Roman Catholic official!
As to the challenges of the jury we need say

little, save this, that whilst the traversers ex-
cepted to the names of Protestants exclusively, it was
not very likely that, in a repeal prosecution, repeaters
would be left on the jury, when there was a consti-
tutional form for their removal. What, pray, is the
use of the right of challenge if it may not be freely
exercised ?

Our readers must pardon us for the total absence
of any remarks upon the proceedings of the impor-
tant meetings which occupy our columns this day.
We can do no more than direct attention to the
reports which we have given—to the debate in the
Council upon the subject of the proposed extension
of our dock space—to the great Protestant demon-
stration at the Commercial-hall—to the noble effort,
originated at the Music-hall, for the amelioration- of
the condition of the British seamen, and the noble
speech in which that object was advocated by the
Rev. Hugh WNeile. There is not one of these
meetings which would not, of itself, have carried
with it far more interest than any remarks of ours ;
and with respect to two of them, at least—the meet-
ings at the Commercial-hall and the Music-hall—
any lengthened comment at this late hour would be
not only superfluous but almost presuming.
Connected with the latter meeting, however—the
meeting of the Seaman's Reading-room and School
Society—we may hazard a word or two. We may
express the gratification with which we see the
clergy of our church entering upon the task, so
appropriate to their sacred character, of rescuing
from degradation and oppression the sons of toil—
taking their stand between the poor of Great Britain
and the avarice which would doom them to the con-
dition and fate of the beasts that perish. And more
than all, we rejoice to see that the first objects se.
lected for the church to throw her sacred shield
over, are those long-neglected and sorely-abused
men, the merchant seamen of our land. If there is
any class to which Britain owes gratitude—owes
her liberties, her wealth, her very existence—it is to
this class ; and earnestly and fervently we do pray
that the noble movement, at length originated, may
be rewarded with all the success which it so emi-
nently and righteously deserves.
To the able advocates of justice to these poor men
we say now, go on and prosper; and to the British
public we would say, hold not back your hands from
so good a work—spare not that wealth which Bri-
tish seamen have brought, and are daily bringing, 1
I
to your shores, in the noble work which is now
pointed out to you I

MERCURIAL MODESTY.—Our contemporary of Fri-
day, in one of his notices to correspondents, expresses his
hope that the selection of a person to fill the office of
head constable may not be made a "political job"—
thereby meaning, of course, that it is not to be given to a
conservative candidate. This is modest in the organ of a
party who, when in power, distributed the entire patron-
age of the council with a political bias, and even removed
from office efficient public servants to make places for
their political friends. Now, we hope that, in this ap-
pointment, the question of politics will be permitted to
have weight. It is sickly affectation and squeamishness,
on the part of conservatives, to say that, because an ap-
plicant is a loyal subject and a supporter of the conser-
vative party and a conservative government, he shall,
therefore, be disqualified for an office which he is other-
wise well able to fill. A time like the present, when we
have been openly menaced with " blazes in the manufac-
turing districts," and burning shipping in our own docks,
if we du not succumb to the dictation of traitors, is not a
time in which conservatives can afford to hoist an oppo-
nent into an office involving such great responsibilities,
as those which belong to the office of Head Consstable
of Liverpool.

SPRING ASSIZES.—The period for holding the ensuing
Spring Assizes for the Northern Ciicuit, before Mr.
Saturday Justice Coltman and. Mr. Baron Rolfe, have been thus
arranged :—Lancastertur
Feb. 17 ; Westmorland,
Thursday, Feb. 22; 'Cumberland
Northumberland and Newcastle W Saturday, Feb. 24 ;
ednesday, Feb. 28;
Durham, Monday, March, 4 • Yorkshire, Saturday, March
9 ; Liverpool, Saturday, Marchi 23.
SMOKY CHIMNIEs•—We know of no domestic nuisance
so great as that of a smoky chimney, nor any more de.
structive to health and happiness. The progress of art
has, however, so demonstrated the cause of contra drafts,
that a remedy is now easily effected. Mr. J.. Thomas,
whose advertisement appears in another column, has at-
tained an eminence in this art, and a single glance at the
numerous respectable names on his reference list must
convince all that it is thoroughly understanding his pro-
fession that has secured him the patronage of such distin-
guished scientific men.

LATEST FROM A M ERICA.—ARRIVAL OF
THE ASHBUR TON.
By the arrival of the Ohio, from New York,
which sailed on the 7th instant, and the packet-ship
Ashburton, which left on the 9th, we have late and
important information, the most interesting of which
to our readers will be that which relates to the
movements in the cotton market. The George
Washington had arrived out on the sth, giving, of
course, the feeling here up to the day of her sailing,
the result of which was a further advance on all
descriptions of cotton, and a large business done.
Up to the 6th it was calculated that prices must
rise in England, from their rate at the departure of
the George Washington, fully VW. per lb. to be
remunerative. The New York Morning Herald of
the 9th, brought by the Ashburton, informs us that
" the same good feeling continues ; the news from
Europe has given a fresh impetus to operations, and
about 8 to 10,000 bales have changed hands, with
an improvement of one-eighth of a cent on sales
after three o'clock, on the prices at which the market t
closed on Saturday," the 6th. The sanguine anti-
cipate an advance here of fully 3d. per lb. from the
rates of about six weeks past. It is remarked as a
fact worthy of observation, that cotton is not the
only article of American production which has ad-
vanced in price, although that advance has, in part,
been caused by short crop. The advance is in all
articles, and in cotton is uniform throughout the
States. This feature is attributed mainly to an im-
proved state of the currency in America, and to the
abundance of capital, which can only be profitably
invested in the staple productions of the country.
The crop of cotton is estimated to produce at the
utmost 1,700,000 bales ; and should it even exceed
that, the ruling opinion in the New York market is,
that prices must be high, as holders on both sides
of the Channel are prepared to stand firm.
The advices from Washington are to the 6th inst.
The most important proceeding since the last arri-
vals was a motion in the House of Representatives,
on the 3rd instant, to instruct the Committee of
Ways and Means to report a bill reducing the duties
immediately on all importations which, by the pre-
sent tariff, exceed 30 per cent. to 30 per cent., and,
within two years, on all articles, to 20 per cent., and
providing that such duties shall be levied solely for
revenue. The house refused to adopt the resolution
by a vote of 57 to 112. There was also another
proposition submitted, that the same committee re-
vise the present tariff and report a bill based entirely
upon the principle of revenue, which was lost by a
vote of 83 to 84. On the following day a notice,
by Mr. Tibbatts, for re-considering the vote by which
the house refused to adopt the resolution, was again
lost. Other efforts wre made, during the day, to
accomplish the same object by resolutions of various
forms, but which, however, were all voted down.
Mr. Hughes, of Mo., introduced a bill, which was
read and ordered to be printed, providing for the
establishment of a territorial government over the
territory of Oregon. In the Senate, on the sth, a
very spirited debate arose on the adoption of the
resolutions calling upon the President of the United
States to report to the Senate copies of any corre-
spondence which may have been given by the Exe-
cutive to the American Minister to this country, on
the sabject of the title to the Oregon territory, since
the 4th of March, 1841, and copies of any corre-
spondence which passed between the Government
of the United States and ours in relation to the
same subject. The resolution was postponed until
the Bth instant.
In the message which Governor Porter sent to
the Pennsylvanian legislature, he takes strong ground
in favour of immediate and decisivive measures for
paying the whole debt of the state. It appears, from
the message of the Governor of Kentucky, that the
affairs of the state have greatly improved. The ag-
gregate amount of the debt has, however, increased
61,717 dollars.
In the Stock-market some fluctuations had taken
place. Generally the feeling was better. There
was a fair demand for foreign exchequer. The rate
upon London was 109 to 1091.

ANSDELL'S PAINTING OF " THE COUNTRY MEETING
OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENG-
LAND."—The public of Liverpool are about to have an
opportunity of inspecting this splendid production of a
native artist—Mr. Ansdell already celebrated as the
painter of the Waterloo Coursing Meeting. This present
work contains faithful likenesses of upwards of a hundred
of the leading agriculturists of England, the whole of
whom have favoured him with sittings for the purpose.
The painting is to be placed in the hands of S. A. Reynolds,
Esq., to be engraved in the first style of art, under the
management, as publisher, of Mr. Agnew, of Manchester.

SPLENDID NATIONAL PICTURE•-The splendid paint-
ing of Prince Charles Edward asleep in one of his hiding
places after the battle of Culloden. is now on private view
at Mr. Lacey's rooms, Bold-st:eet. The subject is a
splendid one; and the painter, Thomas Duncan, Esq.,
A.R A., R.S.A., has certainly done the greatest justice
to his conception. The colouring is rich and glowing,
and the lights and shades are so beautifully intermingled
as to produce a harmony that is at once pleasing and ef-
fective. The various features of the outlawed Highland-
ers—and the soft and delicate countenance of the beauti-
ful Flora M'Donald, who is watching with anxiety over her
revered prince—are most beautifully depicted. This
painting is now being engraved by the celebrated Mr.
Ryall of London; and from its being so beautifuqy
adapted to an engraving, from its peculiarly effective
style, as well as forming a companion print to the
entry of Prince Charles into Edinburgh, it will, no
doubt, meet with a ready sale. In the mean time con-
noisseurs should loose no time in seeing the original.

INTERESTING TO INSURERS AND UNDERWRITERS.
—Much interest has been excited at Liverpool in a trial
just concluded in Edinburgh, and which had reference to
a vessel brought there some considerable time since,
almost in a sinking state, but which by extraordinary good
luck, as it was thought, or management on the part of the
people having charge of her, was enabled to get into port,
although in such a shattered state as to be probably use-
less; indeed, she was a complete wreck, and it was to the
astonishment of all nautical men that she did reach the
port. The name of the vessel is the Laura, bound from
North America to Liverpool. She has been lying at Li-
verpool for nearly twelve months, and it seems she was
insured for £6500, but was valued at £7500. leaving the
owners their own insurers to the extent of about £l5OO.
After three days trial it was decided that the Laura,
which had got such serious damage at sea by running on
board an iceberg, and afterwards strained on a bank at
Liverpool, must be considered as a total loss, and that the
underwriters are responsible to the amount of their insur-
ance. The amount of the decision is, that the ship would
be abandoned by the owners to the underwriters, and the
the full value of the ship, £7500, claimed for. The plea
set up by the opposing parties, who belong to marine in-
surance offices in Scotland, was that the ship could be re-
paired. Her bows were completely beaten in, and yet
they said that they could repair her and make her every-
thing to be desired ! Probably the depreciation in the
value of shipping between the date of the insurance and
the time of the accident occurring was the reason of the
underwriters' refusal to pay the loss. The grand point is,
that the owners have recovered the whole amount of their
insurance, the same as though the ship had been entirely
lost at sea. Some thirty or forty witnesses were subpcened
from Liverpool on the trial, in addition to those from other
places.

A SCIENTIFIC COINER.-011 Thursday week superin-
tendent M'Donald, of the police of this town, appre-
hended a man named Morton, at Swansea, on a charge of
coining. The prisoner is a well-educated man and had
always moved in respectable rank in life. Latterly he
carried on business as a wool stapler in Dublin, and being
here at the Talbot Inn, Vernon-street, about two months
ago, he inquired of a casual visitor in the bar if he knew
of any one capable of constructing a peculiar machine
from drawings. The stranger told him that he knew a
gentleman who did such things for his amusement, and
named Mr. M'Donald, on whom Morton called, showed
his drawings and offered £25 for the instrument when
completed. M'Donald divined his object, closed with
him, and received £5 in hand. Having taken precautions
against being cheated, he communicated with Mr. Powell .
of the who, he found had suspected Morton and
had kept him in sight for nearly seven years. Three years
ago he traced him to Birmingham, where be had ordered
dies worth £lOO, and a machine called a punching press,
worth £6O. The makers and die sinkers suspecting his,
object, had caused inquiry to be made, and the result was
that Morton, although he had paid part of the money.
never appeared to cla
theorderedarticles. Since then'
h?, had resided principally in Dublin, as a wool stapler,
but still persevering to make coin in so perfect a manner'
as to appear genuine. M`Donald continued to mature
the machine, and Morton who came occasionally to see
it, said he wanted it to coin medals, and as it drew near
completion, insinuated that he wanted dies struck. Sud-
denly he disappeared, and Mr. Powell traced him to
Swansea, where M'Donald apprehended him in private
lodgings. He was taken to Birmingham, and committed
to Warwick. The account in the Journal (from which this
is condensed) states, that " although be had never coined
a single shilling, the machine and dies, and the metal
preparations, on trial, bad been so skilfully executed, that
they produced silver which no ordinary eye could distin-
guish from good ones. They had the genuine ring, &c."
[There is something very strange in this account. A su.
perintendent of police agrees to make, and makes a per-
fect machine for coining, receiving £5 on account and
security for the balance ! The machine, is also stated,
produced " silver," which is still stranger; and the pri-
soner " had never coined a single shilling," so that he
has done no harm to the public. It is not positively
stated either that any dies were found in his possession
for the making of shillings or other coin of the realm.
It is certainly a novel and somewhat questionable way of
detecting a coiner for a police officer to make the coining
machine for him. If this principle of prevention be car-
ried out, perhaps we shall have police officers (in disguise)
employed in making false keys, "Jacks in the box," and
selling them to burglars!—EDlT. STANDARD.