The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-09 00:00:00

THE IRISH STATE PROSECUTION OF O'CONNELL.—
Whatevey be the result of that prosecution, whether those
indicted be found Cu lty or acquitted of the misdemeanours
laid to their charge, we feel assured, on the one hand,
however long and grievous may have been the " provoca-
tion," that while there will be " nothing extenuate," nei-
ther will there he " set down aught in malice ;" but that
the measure of the retribution now demanded by the state.
will be so temperately and equitably adjusted, that while
the very semblance of oppression is carefully avoided, the
majesty of the law, and the powers of the executive, will
be amply and entirely viudicatA. On the o. her hand,
if Mr. O'Connell and his companions, in guilt or misfor-
tune, should break through the cobwebs of the law, and
hurl a retrospective defiance at the eovernmen', we feel
the utmost confidence, that the learning, foresight, and
ability, of the eminent lawyers who rep. eseht the crown,
together with the firmness and integrity of the Irish bench.
"sans peur et sans reproche," will demonstrate to the
millions who look on, that the constitutional powers of the
state still remain uninjured and unimpaired in all their
pristine and legitimate energy and vigour; and that neither
in the machinery now set in motion, nor with those who
theon
chum;conduct i
in course supe
or superintend itsac
proceedings,tio but
sci
wiltwith be
thrownothers
execution of a grave and all important duty, :mist rest the
real blame, if blame there he, of the failure of this " State
Prosecution."—" State Prosecutions," in Blackwood's
Magazine.

AN OLD-FASHIONED ENGLISH TAVERN.—Being set
ashore, with very little,n•oney in their pockets, and no de-
finite plan of operatiotfin their heads, they sought out a
cheap tavern, where they regaled upon a smoking steak.
and certain flowing mugs of beer, as only men just landed
from the sea can revel in the generous dainties of !h-
-earth. When they had feasted, us two grateful-tempered
giants might have done, they stirred the fire. drew back
the glowing curtain from the window, and making each a
sofa for himself, by union of the great unwieldy chairs.
gazed blissfully into the street. Even the street was made
a fairy street, by being halt hidden in an atmosphere of
steak, and strong, stout, stand-up English beer. For on
the window-glass hung such a mist, that Mr. Tapley was
obliged to rise and wipe it with his handkerchief, before
the passengers appeared like common mortals. And even
then, a spiral little cloud went curling up from their two
glasses of hot grog, which nearly hid them from each
other. It was one of those unaccountable little rooms
which are never seen anywhere but in a tavern, and are
supposed to have got into taverns by reason of the facili-
ties afforded to the architect for getting drunk while en-
gaged in their construction. It had more corners in it
than the brain of an obstinate man; was furl of mad clo-
sets, into which nothing could be put that was not spe-
cially invented and made for that purpose; had myste-
rious shelvings and bulk-heads, and indications of stair-
cases in the ceiling ; and was elaborately provided with a
bell that rung in the room itself, about two feet from the
• handle, and had no connection whatever with any other
part of the establishment. It was a little below the pave-
ment, and abutted close upon it ; so that passengers
grated against the wintlew-paties with their buttons, and
scraped it with their baskets-; and fearful boys suddenly
coming between a guest and the light, derided him, or
put out their tongues as if he were a physician ; or made
white knobs on the end of their noses by flattening the
same against the glass, and vanished awfully like spectres.
Martin Chuzzlewit.

THE HYPOCRISY OF THE LEAGUE TOWARDS THE
FARMERS.—" We can never carry the measure oursekes :
we must have the agricultural labourers with us 1"
They therefore proceeded to commence operations upon
the agricultural constituencies. They knew they could
always reckon upon a share of support wherever they
went—it being hard to find any country without its cluster
of bitter and reckless opponents of a conservative govern-
ment, who would wilhugly aid in arty demonstration
against it. With such aid, and indefatigable efforts to
collect a crowd of noisy non-electors: with a judicious
choice of localities. and proruse bribery of the local radical
newspape,s, in order to procure copious accouots of thei
proceedings—they commenced their " grto.d series of
country triumphs 1" Their own or,ons. r..rin time to
time, gave out that. in each and every county visited by
the League, the farmers attended their meetings, and
joined in a vote condemnatory of the corn-laws, ano
pledged themselves to vote thereafter for none but •he
candidates of the Anti-corn-law League ! The followin
are specimens of the flittering appellations which had til
now ' een bestowed, upon their new friends, upon the,
selfsame farmers :—" Bull-frogs 1" " chew-bacons I'
" clodpnles I" " hair-bucks!" " deluded slaves I" " bru
drudges !" Now, however, they and their labourers wer,
,addressed in terms of respectful sympathy and flattery, a.,
the victims of the rapacity of the landlords—on whom
were poured the full phials of anti-corn-law wrath. Th,
following are some of the scalding drops let fall upon thei
devoted heads :—" Monster of impiety !" " inhuma
fiend !" " heartless brutes !" " rapacious harpies !" " re-
lentless demons!" "plunderers of the people !" " mer
ciless footpads!" " murderers!" "swindlers!" "hiss
tiable !" " insolent !" "flesh-mongering!" " scoundrel!'
" law-making landlords !" " a bread-taxing oligarchy !"
Need we say that the authors of these very choice an,
elegant expressions were treated with utter contempt t.
both landlords and tenants—always making the few allow
ances above referred to ? Was it very likely that 11.
landlord or the farmer should quit their honourable an
important avocations at the bidding of such creatures t
had thus intrtried themselves into their counties ? shoot.
consent to be yoked to the car, or to follow in the train
these enlightened, disinterested, and philanthropic cotto
spinners and calico-printers ? Absurd ! It became,
fact, daily more obvious to even the most unrefl-ctint
that these worthies were not likely to he httaged in the
" labours of love ;" were not exactly the kind of permit,
to desert their own businesses, to attend out of pure b
neyolence that of others—to let succumb their own
terests to promote those of others ; to subscribe out
'he gains which they had wrung from their unhappy far
tory slaves their £lO. £2O, £3l). £5O, out of mere pubr
,pit it and philanthropy —" Positiortand Prospects of IL
Government," in Blackwood's Magazine.
It is go •d to he children sometimes, and cever bet
'lmo at Christmas, when its Mighty Founder was a chi:
~onselt.—Diekens

SHOPS A
AT CHRISTMS. Fruitere
were radient in their glory. There were gre:it, round, Po
elb,d baskets of chestitu s, shaped like tie waiste,ats
jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors. anti tumid,
out into'the street in their Apoplectic opulence.