The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-03-14 00:00:00

OUR EXCHANGE DEFENCtS,

The attention of several distinguished veterans of " the
flags " has been directed, during the past week to the ne-
cessity of adopting some efficient plan of fortification by
which they may be secured from annoyance similar to that
which has been experienced from the recent invasions of
the Irish porters and lumpers. Barricades have been pro-
posed to be thrown up in front of each entrance to the
Exchange area, to be defended by the engines belonging
to the Insurance Companies. A difficulty, however, pre-
sented itself with respect to those from Exchange-street
East, the pavement of which has just been so firmly
cemented together with asphaltum as to defy all attempts
to take it up. Several substitutes for the Welsh sets
have been proposed. It has been suggested, from the
Stock Exchange, that barriers of a very repellant cha-
racter might be formed of the scrip of some of the railway
lines most popular during the mania, which, it is thought,
very few will like to have anything to do with at present,
especially if a few provisional directorships are thrown in.
The master of the News-room, however, is said to have
settled the matter by the offer of a few of his files of the
Mercury. It would be, he thinks, a most persevering
mob which could get through half a dozen of these.

The National Society for Promoting the Education of
the Poor has made a grant of £BO for the erection of
schools at Much Wootton. The building is to cost £9BO,
and to accommodate 400 children.

The Mayor has given a premium of .£6, to be competed
for by the working classes, for the growth of vegetables,
fruit, &c., at the horticultural exhibitions to be held at
the Corn Exchange.
We regret extremely to hear that Mr. 11. S. Taylor, the
indefatigable surgeon to the West Derby hospital, has
fallen a victim to fever. At the meeting of Guardians on
Wednesday an address of condolence to Mrs. Taylor was
agreed to.

-A
deputation from Liverpool on the Health of Towns
Bill, accompanied by Mr. Cardwell, and consisting of the
following gentlemen, viz., Mr. Lace, Mr. Tinne, Mr.
Shuttleworth, and Mr. Newlands, had an interview with
Viscount Morpeth on Wednesday.
DEATH BY BURNING.—On Thursday night, the 24th
ult., Sarah Thornton, 58 years old, living in Burlington-
street, was left up by herself, when the rest of the family
went to bed. At one o'clock next morning a scream was
heard, and deceased was seen soon after with her clothes
on fire. The flames were extinguished and a surgeon was
called, but she died from the injuries on Thursday.
THE LATE ACCIDENT TO THE PILOTS.—II will be re-
membered that on the sth December last, a small boat,
containing six pilots, was capsized near the Bell Buoy,
when five of them were drowned. One of the craw was
picked up alive, but died soon afterwards, as appeared at
the inquest on the following day. On Friday forenoon,
the body of another sufferer, David Davies, was found
floating, by a boatman, in Zebra Gut, near the Formby
Light Ship.
Dr. Duncan has reported to the Health Committee that
the deaths registered during the past week are fewer than
in any week since the spring quarter of 1846 ; that this
might, in part, be attributable to the mildness of the wea-
ther, and, in part, to the decrease of deaths from fever,
which are fewer than during any week in the previous 12
months ; that the decrease in fever might be ascribed, in
part, to the clearing of unhealthy cellars, and to the less
crowded state of inferior lodging-houses. This is very
gratifying intelligence. _ _

- The Itice Blundell ploughing match came off on Tues-
day, in a field belonging to Thomas Weld Blundell, Esq.,
farmed by Mr. Thomas }Sallies, and which has not boon
ploughed up for nearly a century. Twelve ploughmen, a
most orderly set of men, did their work in very excellent
style. Messrs. James llaye, William Hamilton, and
James Massam, acted as judges on the occasion, and they
had some difficulty in deciding which of the competitors
had done their work the best. The prizes were awarded
to William Lovelady, Joseph Cave, Robert Lovelady, and
Joseph Gilbertson. 'I he unsuccessful competitors were
awarded 2s. each. _ _

FATAL ACCIDENTS.—NearIy three weeks since Thomas
Grace was assisting in unloading some ballast from a ship,
when he fell head foremost into the hold. He injured his
scalp and broke one of his arms with the fall. He was
taken to the hospital immediately, but erysipelas super-
vening, he died on Thursday.—On Saturday week a work-
man, named Peter Canton, whilst intoxicated, seated
himself on a plank which rested on the top of two boilers,
about eight feet from the ground, at M`Fies' sugar work-
house, Bachelor-street. From this eminence the unfor-
tunate man fell, probably having over balanced himself in
consequence of being drunk. He was found lying on his
face on the pavement ; there was a bruise on his head.
As.soon as possible assistance was procured, and he was
taken to the Northern Hospital. He expired on Tuesday.
FATAL STREET ACCIDENT.—On Saturday, an inquest
was held before Mr. Curry, on view of the body of Isa-
bella Rutledge, aged 50 years, who lived at Rock Ferry.
On Friday afternoon deceased was crossing the bottom of
Chapel-street, when she was knocked down by a horse in
a spring cart, and one of the wheels of the vehicle passed
over her chest. She was taken to the Northern Hospital.
The driver of the cart, George Poison, was taken into cus-
tody. One of the witnesses considered that the prisoner
was heedless ; but another said that but for the accident
he should not have remarked the rate of driving as im-
proper. Mr. William Farrar, merchant, in whose employ
the prisoner had formerly been, gave him an excellent
character, spreading over twenty years, and finding that
the friends of the deceased were very poor, in consequence
of the husband being long out of work, he generonsly gave
deceased's daughter, who was present, a sovereign towards
defraying the funeral expenses. Verdict, accidental
death.

THE ALLEGED WILL FORGERY.—Mr. Henry San-
derson, of Hope-street, St. Jude's, in this town, writing
to the editor of the Sun on behalf of the friends and rela-
tives of Lieutenant Bowen, R.N., says ;—" I deny most
positively and in toto the statement, that ' the forgery of
the second will was substantiated,' on these grounds, viz.,
that there is not a particle of evidence to prove it being a
forgery, and that the evidence of several persons, including
that of the testator's legal adviser, which affirms the hand-
writing of the second and last will to be that of the tes-
tator; also the evidence of the witnesses who saw the
testator execute the said last will on the 15th March,
1846, in China, together with the fact of the said will
being received six months afterwards by the present tenant
of Pope-hill, near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. These
I look upon as most convincing and undeniable proofs of
the genuine nature of the last will, and also of the inno-
cence of the late Lieut. P. Bowen of the charge which has
been so unjustly and cruelly preferred against him, thereby
causing his ruin, and bringing affliction and misery upon
his unfortunate and bereaved family!'
ASSEMBLAGE ON 'CHANGE. —During several days last
week the number of unemployed porters, labourers, &c.
who usually congregate in the vicinity of the Exchange
about one o'clock, considerably increased ; and on Wed-
nesday about 1000 of them assembled upon the flags, and
it was evident, from their excited manner and appearance
that they were intent upon effecting some particular object ;
what that was no person could exactly divine. One of the
mob mounted the balustrades which surround Nelson's
column and commenced an harangue, in which certain
not very complimentary observations were made relative
to the master porters, and the injustice which was done
through them to the porters generally. Mr. Dowling,
head constable, approached the speaker, and, with com-
mendable taste and judgment, said, that if the parties felt
themselves aggrieved, and wanted any redress, they had
better address the proper authorities, who would, he was
sure, receive a deputation from them respectfully, and he
promised to use his exertions to have their complaints
speedily redressed. The speaker respectfully thanked Mr.
Dowling for his kindness and sympathy ; the crowd also
seemed thankful for Mr. Dowling's well-timed interference
and shortly after the flags were cleared.
DARING AND EXTENSIVE ROBBERY.—On Saturday
night, about half-past nine o'clock, a tall young man,
about 26 years of age, entered the Rotunda Tavern, oppo-
site the Waterloo Dock, Waterloo-road, and called for a
glass of gin. The son of Mrs. Skane, the lady who occu-
pies the house, a youth about 16 years of age, was at the
time serving in the bar. The stranger pitched down a
sovereign to pay for the drink which he had ordered ;
when the young man took out the cash-box (containing
upwards of £800,) and laid it upon the counter, with the
view of counting him out his change. No sooner had he
done so, than the stranger seized the box, placed it under
his arm, and made off up Formby-street into Great
Howard-street. Master Skane was for some time para-
lyzed ; he cried " Murder !" and not " Stop thief !" and
the consequence was, we regret to say, that the robber,
with his booty, escaped ; nor has he yet been traced.
About £6OO of the stolen property consists of notes,
chiefly Bank of England, and amongst the other money
is a considerable number of eagles, half-eagles, and other
American coin. The thief, in his haste to escape, left his
hat behind him upon the counter. - described as
tall, with an " imperial," but uo whiskers.