The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-07-04 00:00:00

or the omrahs of Hindostan, have much more truly been
operatively present to the describers than any thing anci•
ent or modern amongst the realities of England. A can-
did person, who wishes to estimate the true, and not the
imaginary nobles of England, will perceive one fact
through the public journals, viz., that no class takes a
more active share in that sort of the public business which
naturally commends itself to their support. At least one-
half of the deliberative meetings connected with the innu-
merable charities of London, very many of the public din-
ners by which such charities are promoted or commemo-
rated, obtain the benevolent aid of noblemen as chairmen
and presidents. Provincial asssemblies for the same pur-
poses, and, still more frequently, assemblies growing
out of the endless political questions incident to a nation
in our circumstances, receive the same influential
countenance. These labours, by no means slight,
added to the evening parliamentary attendance through
half the year, and the morning attendance on par.
liamentary committees, togetf er with the magiste-
rial duties of many lords-lieutenants, sufficiently at.
test that in this point of public duties (exercised with-
out fee or compensation), our nobility is the only one in
Europe having almost any connexion at all with the
national service, except through the army. Some of this
small body are pretty constantly attached to the cabinet;
others act as ambassadors, as under-secretaries, or as
colonial governors. And so far are they from wishing,
apparently, to limit the field for their own exertions, that
the late Dukes of Manchester and Richmond sponta-
neously extended it, by giving the countenances of their
high stations to the governments of Canada, and even of
Jamaica. A marquis of ancient family has lately ac-
cepted the government of Madras; and gradually, as our
splendid colonies expand their proportions, it is probable
that many more of them will benefit at intervals, (in
their charities and public works,) from the vast revenues
of our leading nobles acting as their governors. Add to
these the many cases of junior nobles who sit in the
House of Commons; of those who keep alive the public
spirit of great provinces by standing costly contested
elections ; of those professionally pursuing the career of
arms in the naval or land service; and then, collating all
this activity with the very limited extent of our peerage
taken even with their families, not the very bigotry of de-
mocracy will deny that the characreristic energy of our
nation is faithfully reflected from its higher order."

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

the wharf—my senses were clear, though the blow had
deprived me of all power to resist—and I could calculate
the little chance still left me, when once I had reached
the river—when a loud yell, and a whistle was heard afar
off—another, louder, followed—the fellows around me
sprang to their legs, and with a muttered curse, and a cry
of terror, darted off in different directions. I could hear
now several pistol shots following quickly on each other,
and the noise of a scuffle with swords ; in an instant it
was over, and a cheer burst forth, like a cry of triumph.
" Any one wounded there ?" shouted a deep manly
voice, from the end of the street : I endeavoured to call
out, but my voice failed me. " Holloa there, any one
wounded?" said the voice again, when a window was
opened over my head, and a man held a candle out, and
looked into the street. " This way, this way," said he,
as he caught sight of my shadow where I lay. " Ay, I
guessed they went down here," said the same voice I
heard first, as he came along, followed by several others.
" Well, friend, are you much hurt, any blood lost?"
" No, only stunned,' said I, " and almost well al-
ready."
" Have you any friends here—were you quite alone ?"
" Yes ; quite alone."
"Of course you were—why should I ask ? That mur-
derous gang never dared to face two men yet. Come, are
you able to walk ? Oh, you're a stout fellow, I see—come
along with us. Come, Ludwig, put a hand under him, and
we'll soon bring him up."
When they lifted me up, the sudden motion caused a
weakness so complete, that I fainted, and knew little more
of their proceedings, till I found myself lying on a sofa in
a large low room, where some forty persons were seated
at a long table, most of them smoking from huge pipes of
regular German proportions.
" Where am I ?" was my question, as I looked about,
and perceived that the party wore a kind of blue uniform,
with fur on the collar and cuffs—and a greyhound, worked
in gold, on the arm.
": Why, you're safe, my good friend," said a friendly
voice beside me—" that's quite enough to know at present,
isn't it?"
" I begin to agree with you," said I coolly—and so,
turning round on my side, I closed my eyes, and fell
into as pleasant asleep as ever I remember in my life.