The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-08-29 00:00:00

(Cory.)

Dunstable, Aug. 14, 1843.
B. Rotch. Eeq., Furnival's Inn, London.
Dear Sir,—Tne Rev. Theobald Mathew has engaged to
visit Dunstanle previous to his leaving England ; would
it he asking too much to request you to do us the favour
to presid, on the occasion. I can safely say none would so
well satisfy the friends of the cause in this neighbourhood
as yourself. v% e feel it to be wrong in us to press it,
being aware your time is valuable; but if you could come
we should feel obliged.
I am, dear Sir, yours respectfully,
WILLIAM WILLIS.

•
(COPY.' On Circuit.
14, St. Ann-street, Liverpool, 20th Aug. 1843.
To William Willis, Esq., Dunstable.
Dear Sir,—Your letter has been forwarded to me here,
and in reply, 1 beg to say that could I see Father Mathew's
proceedings in furtherance of the great temperance cause,
stripped of their popish character, nothing would give me
greater pieasure than to accept of your invitation to pre-
side over the great meeting which I am informed you ex-
pect will assemble to greet that good man, and very
ardent and most successful advocate of temperance, on
his visit to Dunstable, but I should indeed be grieved to
tee your magnificent Temperance Hall, of which I had
the hononr of laying the foundation-stone, and in which
on its opening, I afterwards addressed you from its chair,
become the theatre of such scenes as have lately been
witnessed in our great metropolis and its suburbs, where,
independently of the absurdities (the public being suddenly
requested to kneel while the pledge was repeated ;) in the
confusion and misconception of the moment, Protestant
children, and even Protestant adults, have been made in-
discriminately the objects of popish priestcraft. Father
Mathew's services are the unpaid and spontaneous ex-
ertions of a noble spirit striving to ameliorate the suffer-
ings of his fellow man, by teaching him the great chriitian
virtue. temperance, and like a good christian he gives the
strength of his own example to his brother that is weak.
Any attempt therefore to impose conditions on his visit
to Dunstable, would probably prove fruitless. 1 must,
therefore, as a Protestant. and an active leader of the
temperance movements in this country, endeavour to pre.
serve my consistency by declining to take the char at
your meeting at Dunstable. unless I can be assured that
no priestcraft will be exercised by any one, on an occasion
when I should wish to see collected persons of every re-
ligious denomination, consistency uniting with God's
assistance to promote the great cause of true temperance,
which ample experience has now proved can only be ob-
tained efl,ctually, (as far as human efforts are concerned)
by total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks as a
beverage.

I am yours faithfully,
BENJAMIN ROTCH

CAUTION.—On Friday several persons were brought by
summons to the Police-court, and fined for having their
chimneys on fire.

CRIIRLTY TO A F-TORSE.—A carter was brought before
Mr. Rushton, on Friday, on the information of a gentle-
man, for unmercifully lashing his horse in Richmond-
street. On examining the animal it was found that the
skin was all off under the collar, and that it must have
suffered such pain in dragging the cart that it could not
proceed. He was fined 40s. and costs.

BOWLING.—The Royal Windsor Bowling Green was,
ou yesterday week, the scene of considerable excitement.
A valuable silver cup was contested for by sixteen gentle-
men, and after the most spirited and beautiful play the
prize was borne away by Mr. W. H. Hayman. The
second prize (a splendid pair of bowls) was gallantly won
by Mr. Hutton. An elegant entertainment was after-
wards prepared by the worthy host, and we believe we
are correct in saying that " the evening's amusement
bore the morning's reflection."

CAUTION TO PAWNBROICERS.--On Friday, Catherine
Evans, a little girl, was committed to gaol for a month
for stealing a string of coral beads from the neck of a
child. The prisoner, who was poorly clad, had pawned
the beads at the shop of Mr. Bond, Richmond-row, for
4s. Mr. Rushton strongly reprehended the receiving
from a wretched girl an article which it must have been
evident she could not have come honestly by, and ordered
the beads to be delivered up to the owner without the
pawnbroker receiving a farthing.

IMPORTANT TO ASSIGNEES.—In the case of T. M.
Whiteley, hatter, in St. George's Crescent, which was
beard on Tuesday, in the District Bankruptcy Court, a
statement was made to Mr. Commissioner Skirrow, to the
effect that the assignees of the bankrupt bad purchased
the whole of his stock, but that they were carrying on the
business, as averred, for the benefit of the creditors. The
commissioner said, that such transfers of interest were
contrary to the spirit of the act. By law, no assignee,
trustee, or executor, could in any wise be the purchaser
of effects devised or delegated to them for superintendence.

•
MR. WARD'S PAINTINGS.—We had yesterday the
pleasure of inspecting several of the splendid paintings
advertised for sale by Mr. Ward in another part of our
paper. There is not a picture among the whole collec-
tion, but from the peculiar accuracy of the drawing, the
beauty of design, and the richness and harmony of the
colouring, is at once established as amongst the first spe-
cimens of their respected artists. The " Medonna," by
Vandvcke, is a splendid painting : the drawing is bold
and effective, and there is a sweetness in the whole pro-
duction that cannot fail to insure admiration. There are
also works from the pencils of Murillo, Claude, Single-
back, Richard Wilson, and many other eminent painters.
Mr. W. will give a guarantee that each painting is by its
reputed at tist.

CHARGE OF RAPE.—On Thursday last, a car-driver,
named George Davies, was examined in the private room
of the Police-court, on a charge of rap 3 on the person of
a girl named Charlotte Hussey. It appeared that, on the
previous Monday evening, he induced her to go into his
car, and drove her to the Zoological Gardens, and thence
to various public-houses, where he plied her with drink
until she became much intoxicated. While she was in
this state, he drove her to Albion-street, where he accom-
plished his purpose. The case so far was a heinous one,
but it came out that the complainant drank with him on
the following morning, so that her evidence was unavaila-
ble for his conviction had he been committed. On being
brought up in court, after the examination, Mr. Rushton
said his conduct had been atrocious, and it was to be la-
mented that, from the subsequent imprudence of his
victim, he could not be punished. lie was then dis-
charged, with an intimation that he should be strictly
looked after.

LARCENY.—ILLEGAL APPROPRIATION OF UPWARDS
OF £9OO.—A good looking youth, about seventeen years
of age, named George 11 ighfield Morton, was, on Satur-
day, placed before Mr. Rushton at the police-court, on a
charge of having gone off with upwards of £9OO of his
employers' money.—Josiah Taylor, cashier to Messrs.
Musgrave and Vance, brokers, in Exchange-buildings,
said that the prisoner had been in the service of the
company for about two years and a half. On the after-
noon of the 23rd instant, witness gave him eight £lOO
notes, two £5O notes, one £5 note, and £4 7s. in other
moneys,—in all £909 7s.—with instructions to pay to Mr.
Melhuish £354 75., to Messrs. Wood and Breddon £205,
and to Messrs, Whittaker and Carter £350. Prisoner
went out of the office, and did not return. On the fol-
lowing morning, witness ascertained that he had not
made the several payments. Bills were printed describing
the money and the prisoner.—The cashiers of the three
firms named, stated that they had accounts with Messrs.
Musgrave and Co., and that the prisoner had not paid
them any of the money.—Police-constable Kehoe state'
that, from information which he had received, he pro-
ceeded on Thursday afternoon to Chester, in search of
the prisoner, and on Friday morning found him at the
shop of Mrs. De Silva, in Watergate-street, in that town,
who keeps a genteel lodging-house. Witness sent for a
person who identified the prisoner. In the hand-bills,
the prisoner had been described as having the initials of
his name marked in Indian ink on the left hand, between
the joints of his finger and thumb, and the witness on
apprehending him found his hand bleeding from an at-
tempt to obliterate the first letter. He brought him back
to Liverpool. The prisoner was remanded. Yesterday,
he was again brought up, and constable Kehoe further
deposed that on Saturday afternoon he was informed that
he was wanted at the bridewell. He went there, and saw
the prisoner, who said, " I am going to Chester with you,
to show you where the money is. We shall have to go
beyond the bridge, to the other side of the Dee, and the
money will be found in a hedge." Witness said that
they accordingly went to Chester together that day, and
that after passing the bridge, the prisoner, about six
o'clock in the evening, pointed out to him, at the bottom
of a hedge, or fence, a hole, and on searching in it witness
found a bag, in which there was a poLket. book. In the
book he found eight £lOO notes, one £5O note, seven
£lO notes, three £2O notes, and five sovereigns—making
in all £905. The prisoner, who wore a
new suit of
clothes similar to those of a genteel apprentice in the
merchant seaman's service, told witness tnat he purchased
them in Oldhall-street, Paradise-street, and other places
in the town, which accounts for the residue of the money.
—The prisoner, on being asked for his defence, with the
usual caution, declined to say any thing. He was com-
mitted for trial. As some doubts have been expressed as
to the precise offence charged against him, with respect to
atatutable law, we quote the following comprehensive
passage from " Roscoe's Criminal Evidence," from which
it appears that it is larceny :—" The chattels, money, or
valuable security embezzled by the prisoner, must be
such as has not come to the possession of his master; if
it has come to his possession, the offence is larceny, and
not embenlement."