The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-02-06 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Hull Packet states, that it is intended to establish
a line of packet ships between New York and Hull.
Tue COURT.—Her Majesty and Prince Albert arrived
at Windsor on Sunday from town. The royal party re-
mained in strict privacy, in consequence of the bereave-
ment sustained by Prince Albert.

Mr. Barclay, M.P. for Sunderland, whom the League
had marked for their own, has written to several of his
constituents to say that he is opposed to a total repeal of
the corn laws, but will support a small fixed duty.

RAILWAY TO CARLISLE.—At a meeting of the Lan-
caster and Preston railway company, last week, it was
unanimously resolved to subscribe on behalf of the com-
pany, £65,000 towards the formation of the Lancaster and
Carlisle railway.

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.—On Saturday a large quan-
tity of earth fell upon four men engaged in an excavation
at Mansion-house-street, London, burying them beneath
the mass. Three were quickly rescued with slight inju-
ries, but the fourth was dead on being found.
LORD MORPETH.—The " Times " of yesterday says,
with apparent authority, that Lord Morpeth is about to
be restored to a seat in Parliament. Capt. Howard, the
present Member for Morpeth, is about to accept the ell-
tern Hundreds, and the noble Lord is to step into his
shoes.

REVPIAL or THE WHALE FISHERY.—The announce.
ment of nine or ten ships from the port of Hull to Green-
land and the Straits, in the ensuing season, has already
given an impetus to preparation. The coopers are busily
employed in providing the requisite tannage for the
adventure.

NORTH WILTS.—Mr. Edridge has come forward to
contest this division of Wiltshire with Mr. Sotheson the
conservati ie candidate. At the last contest Sir F. Bur-
dett was returned by a majority of nearly 500 over Mr.
Mathuen, who was a gentleman of great influence in the
county, while Mr. Edridge's interest is comparatively
trifling. The election is fixed for Monday next.
DEVIZES.—The nomination for this borough is fixed
for this day (Tuesday), for the vacancy caused by the
resignation of Mr. Sotheson, who is a candidate for the
representation of North Wilts. The conservative candi-
date is Mr. Ludlow Bruges, and Mr. Temple, Queen's
counsel has been induced by the radicals to contest the
borough. The Anti-corn-law League delivers lectures in
the borough, nightly.

NEW PATENTS.—Amongst the patents in the list for
the last month, is one by our towsman, Mr. Thomas
Murray Gladstone, of Swan Gaden Iron-works, Wolver-
hampton, iron-master, for certain improvements in ma-
chines for cutting or shearing iron, or other metals, which
improvements are applicable to other like purposes ; and
one by Mr. Charles Cameron, of this town, chemist for
improvements in extinguishing fires in buidings.
.COOL—VERY !—A person named Catlin has been com-
mitted to Huntingdon gaol fur sheep-stealing, and when
in custody of the police was also accused of having ma-
liciously damaged about 250 young timber trees, growing
in a plantation belonging to Mr. John Martin, of Bury,
near Ramsey, for information of which a reward of 11
guineas was offered. The prisoner, finding that he must
go to gaol for sheep-stealing, in a very candid manner
admitted that he also damaged the trees, and has claimed
the reward as being the informer against himself.
DEATH OF THE INFANTA CARLOTA, CONSORT <OF
DaN FRANCISCO DE PAULA.---Tile postscript of the
Paris letter of Saturday evening, in the Times of yester-
day, contains the following:—" Intelligence of the death
of the Infanta Carlota, consort of Don Francisco de
Paula, and sister of the King of Naples, of Queen Chris-
tina, the Duchess of Bury, &c., at Madrid. This event
derives immense importance from the prospect it opens of
the marriage of her son with Queen Isabella, and the
consequent settlement of the affairs of Spain."

INCENDIARY FIRES.—On Tuesday last an incendiary
fire took place at the farm-yard of Mr. R. Butcher, at
Cohie, near Cambridge. In addition
.to the destruction
of Mr. Butcher's premises, several adjoining dwellings
were destroyed. The loss is estimated at £2,000. One
of the earliest persons on the spot to render assistance
was Mr. Raper, the principal farmer of the place, but he
had soon to leave, as his own premises were discovered to
ho on Piro 5 the high wind, unless another incendiary act,
having carried some of the fiolzesl from the previous fire.
At the latter conflagration three large barns, filled with
wheat, peas, beans, &c., six large wheat stacks, two of
peas and beans, &c., the dwelling-house, furniture, &c.,
were completely destroyed. The loss it is said cannot be
less than £3,500.

BANK OF ENGLAND.--The Gazelle of Friday night
contained the return of the quarterly average of the weekly
liabilities and assets of the Bank of England for the three
months from the 4th November to the 27th ult. We find,
on comparison with the preceding three months termina-
ting on the 30th December, that the circulation of the bank
is £19,611,000, against £19,089,000, being an increase of
£513,000 ; the deposites are £13,172,000, against
£11,751,000, being an increase of £1,421,000, and the
total of the liabilities £32,783,000; the securities are
£21,937,000, against £21,067,000, being an increase of
£870,000 ; the bullion is £13,933,000, against £12,855,000,
making the total assets, X 35,873,000 ; the difference be-
tween the liabilities and assets is 'X3,090,000, against
£3,673,000, being an increase during the month of £27,000.
FIRST LOVE.—Ah ! that first affair, how well one re-
members it ! What a noble discovery it is that the boy
makes when he finds himself actually and, truly in love
with some one What a delicious, magnificent secret it
is that he carries about with him ! My first love was
like my first gold watch (an elegant French gold repeater).
I used to go into corners, and contemplate and gloat over
my treasure ; to take it to bed with me, and lay it under
my pillow of nights, and wake of mornings with the happy
consciousness that it was there. What a change does that
blessed first love make in a lad ! You fall in love, say of
a Sunday ; a young woman at church modestly hands you
the psalm-book, and blushes and droops down eyes, as
she tremulously sings the Old Hundredth. By the time
the music is done, you have passed over into a new state
of existence, and your childhood lies far away from you.
It was only on Saturday that you had made a party for
cricket, and were longing for Monday to be a fine day.
It was but last Friday, Heaven bless us ! that you and
Harry Hunter had been examining curiously a certain
apple-tree in Farmer Smith's orchard, and had settled
(after knocking down one of the fruits with a stone, and
trying each of you a slice of it) that the apples would be
ripe in about a fortnight, and the tree in a fit state for
robbing. Psha! is it possible that only three days since
you had an ambition for robbing orchards, and looked for-
ward to the pleasure of hiding a store of the stolen pippins
under your bed ? Is it possible that the setting up of three
yellow stumps upon a meadow, and the dexterous knock-
ing down of them, should have been the chief ambition of
your life? There lies the cricket-ball, which you greased
carefully over night; before going to church even, you
looked at it to examine its condition, and I believe spent
the best part of the half-hour during sermon in the morn-
ing in cutting a pair of bales for the wickets. Evening
service is over. Fanny Edwards and her mother have
slowly strolled home over the fields to tea ;- and as you
pass by Smith's apple-tree, you blush to think that you
could ever have had a longing for the silly green codlings
shining among the leaves, and put away your wicket. sticks
in a rage. And what is the cause of all this ? You and
Fanny have been holding on by one hymn-book ; you
have done it many times these six years; but what made her
blush and you tremble so at this time ? She is eight years
older than you (that follows, of course) ; and if there was
a humiliation for you in the world some few months back,
it was to be obliged to walk with her. You cried for rage
one day when she gave you a kiss, and called you a pretty
little boy ? after dinner, when you were told by your papa
to walk off to the ladies, 3 ou sat in the very furthest cor- I
ner of the room away from her, or passed the evening 1
with the gardener's boy, or with Tom in the stables, or
with making ducks and drakes on the ponds,—any how
rather than with Fanny Edwards, whom you abominated
next to the schoolmaster. What a change now !—ah
gods, what a anal change ! How different is Fanny Ed-
wards ! —Fraser's Magazine.

AN IRISH DLFENCE.--A man named Jeremiah
O'Leary was charged at Worship-street Police-court, on
Saturday, with robbing his landlord of 19s. Gd., and on
being asked if he had anythitig to say in answer to the
charge, he replied, with a penitential shrug of the should-
ers, " The divil a word, your hanour ; and it's my opinion
a great dale too much has been said as it is."
EXTRACT FROM A YANKEE "LEADER."—The New
York Herald says " the country is prosperous,—and he
who trades on the cash system, and believes in God and
women, can always live happily and get rich slowly,
.This
great republic is the garden of Eden among the nations.
We have nearly twenty millions of inhabitants,—one
thousand millions of dollars worth of annual produce,—
thirty or forty religions, and a new one every month,—
two hundred broken banks,—eighty millions of specie,—
two thousand financiers not yet in the State Prisons,—
—and a quantity of fine land, high mountidns, slAndid
rivers, v: ith a sun and moon, the best and brightest that
ever took the great circuit of eternity.

MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE.-AL-
TERATIONS IN THE DOCK BILL.

Yesterday, a special meeting of the Dock committee
was held at the Revenue-buildings, for the purpose of
taking into consideration and determining upon three al-
terations which had been suggested to be made in the
new Dock bill. There was a full attendance of members.
Shortly after one o'clock, the chair was taken by Mr.
Alderman Bra mley-Moore.
The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by stating the
'nature of the proposed alterations. One had been de-
-igned with the view of enabling the continuing members
of the dock committee to meet for the dispatch of busi-
ness in cases of death or resignation upon the part of any
of the members , • the second, would have the effect of
legalising the sub-committees, and authorising them to do
legally what they were occasionally in the habit of doing
at present ; and the third, was to the effect, that vessels
should not, while being removed from one dock to ano-
ther, be forced into the river.
Mr. WORTHINGTON, the dock solicitor, read the latter
alteration, whereby it was provided that, whenever the
proceeds of repairing or cleansing should be obstructed
by any vessel lying in the docks, whether the cargo of the
same should or should not be discharged, it should be
lawful for the trustees to cause such vessel to be removed
into any dock, without being taken into the river, and
that the master. owner, or consignee should pay the cost
of such removal.
Mr. EVANS said he should like the clause to give a
more extended power, but that as, in all likelihood, it
would not be acceptable to his friends around him, he
would not urge any alteration. He thought everything
ought to be left to the discretion of the committee, parti-
cularly as the case about to be provided against might not
occur once in a thousand times.
Mr. TOBIN thought they ought to take care of the
widows and orphans who might be possessed of ships in
the docks as well as of bonds. What, then, should they
think of a dock-master who might send a vessel into the
river, ballast or no ballast ? He thought it would be very
wrong to send vessels into the river at the risk of the pro-
perty of the owner.
Mr. BOLD suggested that three days' notice be given in
cases of the kind.
Mr. KENDALL asked who was to be accountable in
case of accidents occurring while the removals were being
effected ? lle contended that it was not for the owner to
pay, if accidents occurred after the dock trustees had
taken charge of his vessel.
The CHAIRMAN believed the Dock Committee were
not to be held responsible any more than the pilot.
Mr. EVANS said he had always contended that the
Dock Committee were not to be responsible in any way
whatever.
Mr. Rt.o.t.ny said, that upon a former coot
paid for neglect at one of the graving docks.
under Ar. a
c Nt
acts
coot saarildi
Parliament,
t, powerand
liable as any other parties in certain cases. He thought
three days notice might be found to work inconveniently,
tohfa tth they eCy Council
werencil was
a s m heldoc h
inasmuch as it might very often b' desirable to move a
ship when she happened to be in the way of others.
Mr. BOLD intimated his willingness to reduce the time
to 24 hours.
M. Tamil said that at the present time it would be
unsafe to let many vessels in the docks cross the basins

they bed

and go into the river, and that if the notice were reduced
to-24 hours they could not get ballast into them in that
period of time.

Mr. ROYDEN thought the discussion useless, inasmuch
as the existing practice was, for the Dock Trustess to
send a notice that a certain dock was to be let dry, which
was quite sufficient for any ship-owner.
The CHAIRMAN explained. The clause bad nothing to
do with the letting of a dock run dry, it meant merely
to give a power to have a ship removed from the George's
into the Prince's, or any other Dock the Committee
might think proper in certain cases.
Mr. BOLD thought the clause very objectionable ; for,
supposing he bad a ship discharging in the Prince's and
that he wanted to load her there again, the Dock Com-
mittee might order her away to the Trafalgar' and he
could not bring her back again for her load without the
consent of the Committee. Then it be happened to dis-
charge her in full, ,the dock master might go on board
without a moment's .notice and take her away to the
Waterloo, not only at the ship-master's risk but at his
expense also. (Hear.) Under these circumstances he
thought the clause altogether was most objectionable, and
that a notice of 3 days at least ought to be given.
Mr. RIPLEY thought the clause might be improved,
and expressed his belief that the banking of the docks was
much worse than it might be.
Mr. Nicol. was of opinion that a hours' notice was
reasonable, and that to compel a man to have his slings
removed instantly would be a hardship.
Mr. AIKIN said that if a man chose to hold a berth in
despite of the rules of the dock, he ought not to get a
moment's notice.
Mr. KENDALL.presumed the Dock Committee would
never order the removal of a vessel which was not.in a
situation to be removed?
Mr. WORTHINGTON said, the power given under the
fourth of Victoria for removing vessels from the Albert
into any other dock, did not contain any restlictions ,as
to notice.
Mr. ToBIN asked upon whom the consequences might
fall, supposing a vessel, which had been so ordered tube
removed, had to pass a basin and ,was lost?
Mr. WORTHINGTON replied. If there was not any
negligence, the Dock Committee would not be liable •
but, if there were negligence on their parts, the Dock
Cornmi ee would be liable, the same as any other body.
Mr. BOLD put a case :—Suppose a dock-master came
anti said " dock this ship at either the Prince's or any
other—that the owners told him she had not any ballast—
that, notwithstanding that information, the dock-master
persevered, and that, going through the basin, the vessel
was injured. He wished to know, in such a case, who
was to pay the expense.?
Mr. WORTHINGTON said, the .case put by Mr. Bold
would amount to a wilful perversion of the power invested
in the Dock Committee and their officers.
The CHAIRMAN said, that if twenty-four hours' notice
were given, and the parties neglected to comply, the Dock
Trusteess would then be exonerated from all responsibi-
lity, and the risk would be thrown upon the ship. He
should say the shipowner would be better without the
notice than with it.
Mr. BOLD expressed his belief that the present com-
mittee wouid act correctly, but they should bear in mind
that the docks might get into other bands, and that the
state of things might then be altered.
Mr. EVAN s thought it injudicious tohold such language
as tuat future committees would not act as honestly and

morally as they did.
Mr. BOLD admitted that he had made the observation,
but what he intended to convey was this—that he would
be satisfied with any thing the present trustees did, but
that the docks might get into very different management
in a very few years. They might be sold, for instance.
Mr. EVANS admitted that they might get into inferior
hands; but he thought it only right to presume that they
might get into better hands.

It was here understood that the opposition was with-
drawn, and that the clause was agreed to.
M r. WORTHINGTON read the second clause, authorising
the Dock Committee to appoint sub-committees. It was
to the effect that, whereas it was expedient the general
Committee should appoint sub-committees to assist in the
management of the dock trust, it should be lawful for
them to appoint, out of their own body, such and so many
sub-committees, consisting of such a number of persons
as the committee should direct, and the proceedings and
acts of such sub-committees should be subject to such
conditions as the general committee should direct, pro-
vided that their proceedings were entered in proper books,
and were submitted to the general committee for approval
or rejection, and which books should be laid before the
trustees as the books of the entire of the said committee ;
and all proceedings of the sub-committees should be sub-
ject to the same directions as were expressed in the last
mentioned act, with respect to the proceedings of the
said sub-committees.

Mr. Nicol. thought the machinery of this clause a
little complicated, and that it would be sufficient to have
the cA ording made general—that the proceedings of the
sub-committees should be brought before the general
committee, for confirmation, and the trustees, in the
usual manner.

Mr. WORTHINGTON said there were certain restrictions
with regard to the sub-committees, and there were no
powers given them but what the general committee should
think proper to delegate. Therefore, it was necebsary
the proceedings of the sub-committees should be entered
on books, and that those books should be submitted to
the trustees.

Mr. Nicol said that if they were to have half a dozen
sub-committees, and that their proceedings were to be
read over first in the general committee, then the books
of those subcommittees would have again to be read
over in the Council, along with the proceedings of the
general committee. Ile thought this would be a heavy
machinery to work.
The CHAIRMAN.—That's not intended.
Mr. Nicol.—But the clause makes it so.
Mr. AIKIN thought the clause unnecessary, He saw
considerable disadvantage iu it without any correspond-
ing advantage to be derived. He should rather they went
on as they were going at present.

Mr. NA-droRTHINGToN asked what was more easy than
to read the books of the sub-committees to the trustees,
instead of having them re-copied into the proceedings of
the general committee?
The CHAIRMAN thought the clause necessary, because
if the sub-committees ordered payments to be made at
present, they did so on their OWR responsibility until the
same were authorised by the general committee.
Mr. BMX': asked whether the clause would give a
power to the sub-committees to make payments without
the consent of the general committee?
Mr. WORTHINGTON replied, that subject to certain re-
strictions it did.
Mr. Nicol. coincided in opinion with the chairman, that
whatever was done, under the present arrangement, be-
tween Thursday and Thursday, was done upon the per-
sonal responsibility of the sub-committees.
Mr. AIKIN asked what was done?
Mr. Nicol, replied that payments were ordered. Ad-
vances, for instance, were made for works.
Mr. AIKIN contended that the great object of the sub-
committees ought to be to clear away the ground for the
general committee, and that powers ought not to be ex-
nerecciessesdarby ? yabpeocratuiosen,uinftnilo,
aftert they had been sanctioned
by the whole of the committee. Had any particular in-
convenience arisen which woutlhdesylinoewedthnaottthloeocklauosuet wasfor
probable inconveniences. He was altogether opposed to
the granting of powers to sub-committees.
The CHADMAN said, the real object of the clause was
to enable them to do legally what their now did illegally.
Mr. RIPLEY asked cl Lethur the general committee had
not the power at present to appoint sub-committees?