The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-12-20 00:00:00

THE FLOATING LIGHT.

We are authorised to insert the following resolutions of the
Dock Committee, passed at. their meeting on Tuesday.
The Harbour-master having reported that the Floating-light-
vessel parted from her moorings on the 11th instant, and was
replaced on the 13th, the weather having prevented her earlier
return, and the committee having investigated, as far as circum-
Stances will at present. ermit, the cause of the accident,
" Resolved unanimously,
.That the preeise cause cannot be ascertained until the
weather permits the moorings to be lifted and examined; but
that every means were taken to replace the vessel in her station,
and e‘7ery exertion made to give intelligence to the masters of
vessels inward-bound of their being deprived of the use of the
vessel, as early as the tempestuous state of the weather would
admit. ‘.
" That the thanks of this committee be presented to Charles
Wye Williams, Esq., and Mr. John Richardson, for their assist-
ance on the occasion of the Floating-light getting adrift. and to
the officer comniatiding his Majesty's Postoffice packet, the
Dolphin, for taking \the Light-vessel. in tow, and bringing her
into port."

Two hundred and fifiv insolvents were discharged in Ire-
land this year, whose assets and dividends did not amount to
sixpence in the pound.
THE MODERN ATDENIANS.\—,,The denizens of the modern.
Athens seem determined to outshine the ancients in the quan-
tity, if not in the quality, of their oratory. To look at the Edin-
burgh Journals, one would imagine that- there is a rich crop of ..........-- ___
orators in the field, compared with who Demosthenes is a I HOUSE OF COMMON? PRINTING.—From NZ to 1830 there
mere joke; for we have column after column tiii the eye tires have been 105,045 volumes of journals printed for the House of
in gazing on the effusions of their eloquence. This izzny,be all Commons, at an expense of £5,000 per volume; of these only
very well for the orators themselves, but it is a great fur;- tot 52,040 have been delivered to members and-others, and there
the- public, particularly in the provinces. Who cares a straw i -reilain in store x 3,021. It is a singular fact that the manuscript
(except the orators) for the gabble of Mr. A. B. and C. at the i journal: preserved in the House of Commons for reference into
Police Board, or the Improvements Board, or the Leith Dock as legal authority, are copies made by the clerks, during the
Commission, or this ward and t'other, about the parish business recess, from Jiose already printed in the course of the preceding
of Edinburgh? Even the Town Council proceedings should session. The printed journals now amount to 120 folio volumes,
be paragraphed, and the substance of what is proposed objected and each member is entitled to a perfect set after be has taken
to, andadone,.given, instead of the twaddle speeches
.of the his seat for fourteen days without petition against his return.—
talkers. This is all that the public care about—and we know The printing of the reports of the various committees of East
that these reports are reckoned a nuisance by nine-tenths of India inquiry, during the session of 1832. amounted to £lO,OOO.
the readers in town and country. For ourselves, we cry gra- The average profits of the King's printer are stated at £lO per
mercy ! to our beloved brethren of Edinburgh, and beseech day ducing, the sitting of Parliament, and his workmen arc paid
them to tell us in ten lines what is passing among them, with- three guineas per week, being £5O per cent. inure than the
out this never-ending parade of speechifying. They can cure common average payment which is made to those employed on
an evil which " has increased, is increasing, and ought to be , newspapers, The total expenses for printing alone, paid to
diminished."—Kelso Chronicle. . i Messrs. Hansard and Co., during three years, was £125,772.

MR. SUMNER.

31-

We have great pleasure in giving circulation to the following
er from Mr. Sumner, of Formby; a letter containing ex-

.essions as honourable to the mind and character of the
writer, as they must be agreeable to those whose acts have
called it forth.

" To the Worshipful the Mayor, the Common Council, and the
Gentlemen who ha's, contributed to the subscription, Licerpool.
GENTLESIeN,—The testimonials which I have received
approbation of uy endeavours to rescue a portion of the crew
of the Pilot Boat, No. 1, lost on, the 29Ln utt„ on. the Formby
coast, are most e'ratifving, but 1 feel that they greatly surpass
my deserts. Actuatedi alone by feelings of humanity and duty,
I used my humble exertions in a case of distress, nor would

they (such as thcy were) have been brought before thu eye of
the public, had not my friends, without my knowledge, in-
terested themselves in my behaif. Permit me, through the
medium of the press; to return my must sincere thanks for
the very liberal subscription which you have raised for me,
and were a stimulus wanting, the atnouqt would be sufficent,
to compel use in future, as a debt of gratitude and duty, to
succour and befriend the pour sufferers who may be driven on
our shore. " I am. Gentlemen,
" Your most obedient and grateful servant
" RICHARD SUMNER."
" Formby, Dec. 19, 1833."

NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR THE PRESERVA-
TION OF LIVES FROM SHIPWRECK.

London, Dec. 12, 1833, No, 20, Austin Friar:.

. ,
SlR,—The letter you a.ldressed to Richard Percival, Esq.,
treasurer of the " Shipwreck In‘titutiou," on the 6th instant,
with its inclosure, have been laid before the committee of the
Shipwreck Institution, and I am directed to acquaint you, that,
in consideration of the highly praiseworthy conduct of Ain
Sunitier, in swimming off to tne pilot-boat, and administering
succour to the distressed pilots, as therein stated, by which it
appears their lives were preserved, the committee have voted
the Gold Medallion of the Institution to be presented to him ;
and I have to request the favour of you to inform me his Chris-
tian name, in order that it may be engraved thereon. The
committee have also awarded one sovereign each to William
Formby and Robert Kershaw, for the assistance they rendered
on the occasion, a draught for which is perlixed to this letter.—l
have the honour to be, Sit, your most ooedient servant,
THOMAS EDWARDS, Secretary.
To WILLIAM ROTIIERAM, Esq., Chairman of the linderwiitsrs'
Association, Liverpool.

THURSDAY.
MURDEROUS ASSAULT.—Captain Alexander Atkin, George
Turner, end Amos Priny, three men in the garb of sailors, the
former called captain,-were placed before the Mayor, charged
with committing a most violent and outrageous assault upon a
young man of respectable appearance, also in a sailor's dress,
uanied-Miehael Murphy: The complainant (or rather the ob-
ject of the prisoners' sodence, for he was unable to complain,)
appeared against the prisoners, in a most deplorable state.
One arm was in a sling, and his head was so much disfigured by
congealed blood and bandages, that his features were scarcely
discernible. He endeavoured to speak, but could not be heard
distinctly; consequently, his evidence was dispensed with for
the present, and the following evidence against the prisoners
was adduced :—A young woman in the employment of Mrs.
Taylor, who keeps a public-house in Redcross-street, stated
that the three prisoners were drinking in the bar of her mistress's
house, on the night previous, when they commenced quarrelling -
amongst themselves. Mrs. Taylor interfered, when she was
knocked .down by one of the prisoners. The complainant, a
young man who is a ledger in the house, hearing the scuffle,
and seeing Mrs. Taylor knocked down, went up to the pri-
soners and asked why they had behaved in that way to the
landlady, when the captain asked what he had to do-with it,
and the three immediately set upon the complainant fiercely, as •
if they intended to murder hint. Captain Atkin laid hold of the
poker and beat the co ...piainant with it. With much difficulty
the prisoners were secured and taken to Bridewell. A man
who went in to•the assistance of the poor fellow stated, that he
was compelled to make his escape, or he might have been used
in the sante way. He saw the prisoner with the white hat
(Atkin) beating complainant with the poker.
The poker, which bore the marks of blood, was produced. •
The Mayor inquired of the prisoners what they had to say for
committing so wanton and outrageous an assault ?
The Captain said in his defence that he was not present at the
commencement of the fray, but found them auarreding and took
his friends' part. The other prisoners said nothing more in
their defence, but that they were drunk, and did not recollect
the affair.
The Mayor informed the prisoners that the Young man ap-
peared in so precarious a state, that he felt it his duty to remand
therm From their outrageous conduct they had placed them-
selves in a serious situation Remanded accordingly.
John Jones, " a disorderly," was brought up, charged with
annoying Mr. Alden:war P. Bourne, in St. John's !gasket, ou
Wednesday. Mr. Bourne stated that the priSoner, in a state of
intoxication, continued to follow him about and annoy him as
was walking in the market, and in order to rid himself of the
isance he gave hint sorryustody. John Jones, for the t
he
..:nee, was exceedingly lle would not have done so, he
said, had he been sober.
The Mayot, to the prisoner.—When were you sober, John
Jones ?
John Jones.—Can't exactly say, sir.
The Mayor.—Never, I think, when von can get drink. •
John Jones.—Why, seldom, sir; limit I am very sorry.
The Mayor.—John Jones, I am afraid you are an irreclaim-
able drunkard. You have been forgiven byall the magistrates
at different times, and I think it a mercy to yourself to send you
to prison.—To the jailor. Let him go to gaol, as 1 have to give
all the prisoners a Christmas dinner, which he may not chance
to obtain out of gimls-Cousigned to the Keeper of the Borough
gaol until after Christmas Day.
John Collins an old sailor, with a wooden leg and a venera-
ble wig, was charged by a constable named habeas, with an-
noying passengers in the streets by begging on the footpaths.
It appeared that the prisoner, in order to attract sympathy and
alms, was in the habit of disgustiug,ly exhibiting hts naked
wounds.—The Mayor stated that he recollected the prisoner,
as a beggar and ballad-singer, ever since he was a boy. The
prisoner said that he had many years ago practised his profes-
sion in Liverpool, but had resided since in Manchester, where •
he had sous and daughters living. On promising to leave
the town he was discharged.
Acton Vox, a hawker of brushes, on Wednesday night, took
the liberty of walking off with a pair of new boots from the
door of a shoemaker iu Shaw's-brow. Ile was caught in the
act and apprehended. Time prisoner, a cockney. in his defence
said, " Yer honour, I'm as innoceut a tradesman as ere came
afore ler vorship. 1 titoie none o' tlatu era boots. I vauted
none o' the boots. I've got a pair o' we'd boots o' my own. I
vas a valking as leisurely as a honest man could -along Shaw's-
brow, vhen up comes a gentlemen to ine, an:l says, says he, you
are the gentleman Oat boned the bout,,' You are a liar how-
somedever, says I, howsomedcver he apprehended me for the
same." Notwithstanding the prisoner's e'oquent defence he was
committed for trial.
Lawienee O'Hara, an urchin about twelve years of age,
who was discharged about a fortnight ago on the charge of
stealing cotton from carts as they passed along the streets, was
again brought up for a similar offence. He was committed for
three mouths.
•Andrew M'Clean was charged with being found drunk in the
streets. The watchman stated that he found the prisoner the
night previous lying in the gutter dead drunk, and he put him
into Bridewell fur safety. On searching him, eighteen coves
reigns, a goal watch, and a silver snuff,iiox were found in hie
possession. The Mayor remarked, that the prisoner had been
exceedingly fortunate in meeting with the watchman, other-
wise his property might have been stolen. The prisoner said
that he should have gone away that day in the John wood,
steamer- but bail unrortiniateiy been drinking with the mate
the night before. Fined ss. and Oischarged.
RonBERY AT THE BItt,NSW ICE L.-- rollrrlierloitn the
charged with stealing a quantity of silver spoons f
Brunswick Hotel. Hanover-street. It appeared from the evi-
dence of Mrs-Trevor, the landlady-, that the prisoners were
drinking in the house at the time she misssd the spoons, and
that no other persons could have stolen-thenito.
thleshiii,ottierilso:irtehrsa,
in their defence, stated, that they had gone
friend, who was about taking the Brupsw:ck Tap, attached to
the hotel, which was not denied, and as the spoons were not
found upon them, they were discharged.

Lone DURHAM AG AIN is rumoured that the DM,
ti am is likely to proceed on a special mission to Vjettials, to re-
-sent this country at Prince Metternii h's meeting of the GerC•
manic Confederacy. As we have, however, already a diplomatic
minister of the first class (Sir Frederick Lamb) accredited at
the Austrian court, it is not probable that a special envoy would
be despatched there.---Moroilw lierald.—{ls this a pleasure ex-
cursion, or preparatory to au introduction of the nohie lord to
office? Or does his health require improving, or his temper
sweetening, at the expense of the English nation ?1