The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-09-12 00:00:00

POLITICAL MISCELLANY.

The Earl of Clarendon will, it is said, be elevated next
sessions to be Marquis of Hyde, and the Marquis of Lans-
downe to be Duke of Wiltshire.

BOLTON.—Mr. Stephen Blair has been brought for-
ward by the Conservatives RS a candidate for this borough.
Mr. P. Ainsworth has retired. There is a talk of Mr.
John Brooks again contesting the seat.
EXTRAORDINARY LOQUACITY OF " THE HOUSE."—
The speeches delivered from the 23rd of November to the
9th of June occupy 6,420 columns of Hansard, measuring
about 1,432 yards. The speeches of the entire session
would extend to a mile and a half in print.
CHELTENHAM ELECTION.—At the close the numbers
were,—for Mr. Berkeley, 986 ; for Mr. Escott, 835 ; ma-
jority for Mr. Berkeley, 151. The Cheltenham Journal
of Monday says, " One of the ' six points' is more than
established in this borough. No Chartist in Cheltenham
need cry out for ' annual parliaments.' Our much re-
spected returning officer, J. C. Straford, Esq., when he
completes this day's labours will have presided over three
contested elections for the borough within about thirteen
months. We believe this is a circumstance unprecedented
in the annals of English elections."

COURT AND FASHION.

HER MAJESTY'S MARINE EXCURSION.

On Tuesday her Majesty prorogued Parliament in per-
son ; the progress from Buckingham Palace to the new
houses of Parliament was a gay and loyal one ; the
weather being particularly fine added much to the gor-
geousness of the spectacle. The prorogation took place
at one o'clock, being an hour earlier than usual, to allow
her Majesty time for starting on her voayge to Scotland.
At three o'clock the Queen, Prince Albert, the Prince of
Wales, and the Princess Royal left Buckingham Palace
for Woolwich, where they embarked on board the royal
yacht Victoria and Albert, and attended by the Black
Eagle, Vivid, and, Monkey steam-tug, proceeded
down the river till they reached the Nore light, where it
was anticipated they would anchor about seven o'clock for
the night.

At ciay-break on Wednesday morning the Victoria and
Albert passed the Coast-guard station at Happisburgh (20
miles to the northward of Yarmouth). She was about
five miles from the coast. The royal squadron was steam-
ing at the rate of fully ten miles an hour.
The keeper of the Cromer Lighthouse descried the ap-
proach of the Royal squadron from the southward, be-
tween six and seven o'clock on Wednesday morning.
Her Majesty's yacht, with the other steamers, was about
nine or ten miles off the coast, proceeding to the north
very fast. The weather was beautifully fine.
Flamborough Head was reached by the Victoria and
Albert yacht about four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.
The day was beautiful in the extreme, and the cliffs in
parts were lined with visitors. The Queen's yacht, with
the royal standard flying at her main, kept the lead, the
Virago and Vivid being a short distance in the rear of her.
The Black Eagle was three or four miles astern. At this
point of the coast numerous vessels passed close by the
royal yacht, the crews of which loudly cheered the royal
voyagers. The royal squadron was abreast of Scarbo-
rough about six o'clock. The royal yacht was progressing
at a very rapid rate, and only two steamers of the squa-
dron appeared to keep up with her. The squadron was
seen to pass Seabam between seven and eight o'clock on
Wednesday evening.

The Queen arrived at Aberdeen at six o'clock on Thurs-
day morning, a day sooner than she was expected.
Her Majesty came on shore on Friday morning at eight
o'clock, leading the Prince of Wales and the Princess
Royal ; and was followed by his Royal Highness Prince
Albert with Prince Alfred, accompanied by Sir George
Grey and the rest of the suite.
On entering the carriage, her Majesty and the cortege
were conducted through the city with much ceremony,
and were everywhere received with the greatest enthusi-
asm by all classes.
The Queen on this, as on former occasions, set an ex-
ample to her subjects in regard to early rising. The
authorities were nearly in the same predicament at Aber-
deen as Sir James Forrest and his sleepy friends were at
Edinburgh. When will this illustrious lady be allowed to
avail herself of the advantage of a quiet visit to any part
of her dominions, without having to wait on the laziness
of those who profess to receive her with honour and
pomp, which she would rather avoid than see tardily ten-
dered ! We hope corporations will some time or other

learn to be courteous, and allow the Royal Family either
to travel incog, or be respectfully waited on.
The passage from Woolwich was made in 39 hours anti
a half, and from the Nore in 37 hours—this last run being
without a parallel in the history of steam navigation be-
tween Aberdeen and London. Addresses from the Pro-
vost, magistrates, and council, and from the Chancellor,
Rector, Dean of Faculty, Principal, and Professors of the
Marischal College and University of Aberdeen, were pre-
sented to her Majesty, who spent the greater part of the
day in the city.
Having reached the boundary, the royal carriages, four
or five in number, in which were seated the Earl of Aber-
deen, Sir George Grey, and the attendants on her Ma=
jesty, quickened their pace as they proceeded along the
Dee-side-road en route to Balmoral. Her Majesty
reached her Highland residence about one o'clock, the
whole distance being about fifty-one miles. The weather
throughout the morning was uninterruptedly fine, and
the inhabitants were highly delighted with the spectacle
of the royal and civic cavalcade.

Her Majesty wore a light silk gown, an elegant
Paisley shawl, a white bonnet, trimmed with velvet, and
a white veil, which lay close over her bonnet. Her Ma-
jesty's hair was braided. Prince Albert wore a black frock
coat, and was otherwise plainly attired.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of
Parma are expected to reach this country at the close of
the next month, with the view of residing some time in
England. The Duke, it will be recollected, was Heredi-
tary Duke of Lucca, and visited this country last year.
The Duchess is sister to the Duke de Bordeaux.
On Thursday the Count and Countess de Neuilly, the
Prince de Joinville, the Duke and Duchess D'Aumale,
and a large party accompanying them, visited the Chinese
junk. The party were recognised by one of the servants
on the quay, who raised his hat, and said alood to the by-
standers, This is Louis Philippe, gentlemen.' The crowd
pressed inconveniently close ; but the Count and Countess
appeared to be rather pleased than otherwise with the
eagerness of the people to see them, and the Count de
Neuilly, taking off his hat, bowed repeatedly.
ETCHINGS BY ROYALTY.—TLat both her Majesty and
Prince Albert rank high in this department of art, their
productions which will shortly be exhibited to the public
abundantly testify. This collection (nearly 100, and
commencing with the two first specimens both of her
Majesty and Prince Albert) embraces portraits of the
Prince Consort, the Prince of Wale.' the Princess Royal,
and of other. members of -the Royal Family and personal
friends of the SoVereign, many of which were drawn by
her Majesty from life, and afterwards transferred to cop-
per, and most admirably etched by the Queen and his
Royal Highness. It also contains portraits of the fa-
vourite dogs of the Queen and the Prince, taken by the
Royal artists from life ; etchings from many old and rare
engravings in the possession of her Majesty ; several from
the original designs of the Queen and his Royal High-
ness, representing warriors, the heads of animals and
birds, and historical and domestic subjects ; and a variety
of interesting works (some from original drawings by
Landseer and other esteemed artists). All of these works
contain the autographs of the Queen or the Prince (as
they are respectively executed), with the dates when they
were finished. The two first etchings (which, as their
very earliest efforts, indicate considerable judgment and
skill on the part of her Majesty and his Royal Highness),
both have date, "August 28th, 1840." There are seve-
ral portraits of the Princess Royal, taken from life by her
Majesty, previously to her being weaned ; and, up to a
more mature period, representing her Royal Highness
in the arms of her nurse, playing and rolling on the car-
pet with her doll and other toys, amusing herself with the
Prince of Wales, and pourtraying other domestic and in-
teresting scenes in the Royal nursery.

PRESERVATION OF BOOKS, &c., FROM FIRE.

(From the Norfolk' News of August 26.)
So alive is almost every class of the community in the
civilized world to the necessity of some effectual method
of preserving papers, books, and other documents from the
destructive ravages of fire, that means, of some descrip-
tion, have from time immemorial been adopted for secur-
ing this important object. The old tin boxes, with sol-
dered seams, gave way to the introduction of more im-
proved " safeties." and obtained the preference over all
their predecessors. But even these, in numerous cases
of conflagration which are daily consuming a vast amount
of valuable property, have been found, when subjected to
an hour's intense heat, to be utterly inefficient—their
contents having been generally burnt to ashes.
A remedy for the evil has, however, at last appeared.
After many years of trials and experiments, Messrs. Mil-
ner and Co. of Liverpool, have succeeded in manufac-
turing boxes, chests, &c., w!lich afford a perfectly secure
depository for the preservation of books, papers, jewellery,
&c., uninjured by the effect of the most intense heat. A
very interesting demonstration of the value of these took
placqbat Norwich, on Tuesday last, in the open space at
the fiont of the Athenaeum. There were a considerable
number of gentlemen present, among whom were the
Lord Bishop of Norwich, Rev. A. B. Power, Rev. John
Alexander, Rev. Mr. Cotterill, J. H. Gurney, Esq., Cap-
tain Money, J. B. Johnson, Esq., H. S. Patteson, Esq.,
Horatio Bolingbroke, Esq., William Starke, Esq., W. P.
Marshall, Esq., Edw. Willett, Esq., Henry Willett, Esq.,
Charles Winter, Esq., Abel Towler, Esq., Blake, Esq.,
Jeremiah Colman, Esq., John Barwell, Esq., Joseph
Geldart, Esq., W, Druery, Esq., Messrs. Morrison, John
Barwell, Jun., Dawbarn, Seamen, Trevor, J. Fletcher.
C. Swann, Hawfie,, W. nall. T. Banks, R. Colman, and
numerous other gentlemen, to most or all of whom the
perfect safetr of-books;• paperti, 'dadsw,*plans-,--and othei:
documents, is a matter of very considerable interest.
One of Mr. Milner's patent Bankers' safes was packed
with a quantity of books, papers, a watch, belonging to
Mr. Wenden—the patentee's representative in Norwich—
a five pound note, several silver pencil cases, pocket
knives, silk handkerchiefs, small packet of gunpowder,
&c. A document was also inserted bearing the signatures
of the Bishop, of the Rev. A. Bath Power—vice-president
of the Athenaeum—and of about 100 of the members ; and
another with the following inscription, to which were
attached the names of the president, vice-president, and
members of the Chamber of Commerce :
"The principle of Messrs. Thomas Milner and Sons' fire-
resisting manufactures being by the mutual re-action of non-
conduction and evaporation, and the patentees having
announced their intention of submitting some of the same to a
public trial in this ci y, on Tuesday, August 22d, we have
subscribed our names to this document, for the purpose of
its being placed within one of their safes during such experi-
ment, that we may ascertain what effect the steam thus
Fenerated may have upon the paper, &c., and if the writing is
in any degree obliterated or defaced thereby.
"HENRY S. PATTESON, Vice-Chairman,
&c., &c., &c."
One of Milner's No. 1 safes was also filled with books,
papers, and several letters belonging to the gentlemen
present. Both baying been fastened down, they were
each exposed to the intense heat of a very large fire, the
fuel used on the occasion consisting of twenty cwt. of
coals, several loads of wood, a quantity of barrels, and a
hundred faggots. Each fireplace was formed by a circular
arrangement of bricks, so placed, with draught holes, that
the fires blazed with great fierceness, which continued
during the whole period of the tests. Indeed many of
the bricks were burned to atoms.

With the No. 1 resisting safe, was also placed a cast-
iron " safe" (so called), filled with books and papers, for
the purpose of contrasting the comparative value of the
old and new inventions. These were both exposed to the
same fire for two hours and a half, during which time the
patent principle was plainly visible in the escape of a
quantity of steam from the corners of Milner's sate. On
being removed, Mr. Shalders, to show the different quality
of the metal of the two boxes, poured upon them for
some time, from his patent hand pump, a continual
stream of water. The common iron chest, while under-
going this operation, cracked in several places with a loud
explosion. The patent safe was quite uninjured by the
experiment, the only effect of the application of the cold
to its outward surface being the condenser of the steam
within, which caused a slight discolouration of the con-
tents. On being opened, the cast iron safe was shown to
have been no safe at all : the contents had been com-
pletely reduced to black ashes, while every word in the
letters, books, and other papers contained in the patent
seffe was as legible as when deposited, the edges only
being a little discoloured from the cause we have already
mentioned.

On the examination of the bankers' safe, after a severetest
of five hours, every article was found moist, and to every
appearance as little like burning as before the fire was ig-
nited. The application of cold water to the cooling of this
safe also had, it is true, produced the same effect as it had
upon the other; but every letter was legible, and the vari-
ous articles were for every practical purpose as good as
ever. The gunpowder had been slightly caked by the heat
and moisture, but was far from being materially injured,
inasmuch as, after being allowed to become dry, a portion
of it ignited as readily as usual. Indeed so great was the
satisfaction experienced by the gentlemen present, that a
testimonial of the perfect success of the experiment re-
ceived about 50 signatures on the spot. The two docu-
ments which had stood the test of a continual great fire, far
greater than is likely ever to result from a common con-
flagration, were also inscribed with the following certifi-
cates :

"This document was taken from Milner's fire-resisting safe,
after being tested for five hours in a fire conveying furnace heat,
on our premises, on the 22nd of August, 1848, the above names
having been written there!r)n)?e,f9rit was placed in the fire.