The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-31 00:00:00

RAILWAYS AND THE BOARD OF TRADE.

Parliament, in its wisdom, says the Railway Record,
has appointed the Board of Trade to the onerous duty of
arbitrating between all competing lines of railway. Ga-
zette notices have issued from the board, declaring its in-
tention to investigate the relative merits of competing
railways, and, pending this investigation, a long manifesto
against the sincerity and honesty of the gentlemen con-
stituting the board of investigation appeared in the Times
newspaper on Monday last. The article, which is not
editorial, bears strong evidence of having emanated from
some of the" monopolist" party, seeking to be considered
as p ssessing a vested interest in existing lines, wh'c'a
they have so often laid claim to that at least they imagine
they possess it. Though no decision of the Board of Trade
has yet been published, it may readily be imagined that a
committee of ministerial officers, acting in the capacity
of guardians for the public, will be a most unpalatable tri-
bunal for the old railway directors or " dictators," to
submit to, who, conscious that such a tribunal will consi-
der the public weal of more consequence than sharehold-
ers' dividends, tremble by anticipation lest they should
not be allowed to hold their own, and seem to think that
bombast and insult are the best protective measures they
can fortify themselves with. If the writer had allowed
roason to be his guide, he would have seen that the board
of trade must have taken the course that he deprecates so
strongly. Their position and mode of treating the present
railways must be similar to the course adopted by the le-
gislature towards the turnpike trusts on the introduction
of railways. The public advantage must be considered,
the private interest sacrificed. More direct lines, where
they afford a more decided benefit to the community,
cannot be allowed to remain in abeyance because they
are hurtful to the profits of existing circuitous rail-
ways. More impriived systems of working must be
adopted, when ascertained to afford very great additional
security and advent iges, and an extended and wise
policy would encourage improvements instead of
seeking to disparage, and also making them the vehi-
cle of attack on a government board, whose position
and integrity of action render them beyond the suspicion
that the writer of the Times would insinuate against them
of being influenced with a preference for and interest in
some " new patent." There is no doubt that this is
meant for the Atmospheric Railway—an invention which
many first treated with contempt, trusting to the security
of their imagined unassailable position ; but, subsequently
became alarmed at the progress it was making, and then
employed every means to bring it into disrepute ; opposed
it in both houses of parliament, but without success, and
without being able to establish any one point against it.
Is it the reflection that the melancholy accidents on the
Midland Counties and the South Eastern Railway (which
could not possibly have occurred with the new system)
may militate against their interest, which induced the
ungenerous remarks we have had occasion to notice ? Or
is it disappointment to find that they are unable to check
public opinion in favour of the system of working that
they denounced—for several hundred miles of railway
now seeking parliamentary powers are proposing to work
atmospherically ? Does the writer fear that such com-
panies have a great claim for preference at the hands of
the Board of Trade, who, with equal or superior lines,
say—" We are well convinced of the perfection of the at-
mospheric system—our engineer recommends us to adopt
it. Every proof given by the line at work in Ireland is
such as to convince us, beyond any doubt, of its perfect
success. There are seventy miles at present under con-
struction (on the Croydon and South Devon Railway),
and part will be opened before we begin our lines. We
offer velocity, cheapness, and perfect safety to the passen-
gers, and no annoyances to the proprietors where the line
passes ; at the same time, if any unforeseen circumstances
prevent the possibility of adopting the atmospheric sys-
tem, we offer to give the locomotive." The time has
passed when interest and monopoly can be allowed to
check the onward course of improvement; and the best
security for public patronage is now to make such changes
of system and arrangement as will ensure the greatest
amount of accommodation at the cheapest rate, the re-
compense for which will invariably he found to consist in
the greatest return for the capital invested.

SALE or GU AN o.—On Friday, a cargo of guano, corn-
prising about 550 tons, from Smith's Island, off the coast
of Africa, a considerable distance from lchaboe, was sold
by auction, at Glasgow, and brought £4 6s. 6d. to
£4 7s. 6d. per ton in bags. The quality of this description
is inferior to the averae from Ichaboe, and the few ves-
sels which were loading at Smith's li.land were expected
to clear away all the guatto to he found on it.

Dec.3l, 1841,

RELATIVE EMPLOYMENT FROM AGRI'
CULTURE AND MANUFACTURES•

The return for Great Britain (exclusive of Irell°,,),r
forth the occupations of 6,851,045 persons, out o f
latibn of 18,655,981, the rest being women and ell?da,
and unemployed dependents. The total number or ;v:
males whose occupations are returned is, hog"
4,248,914, who may be taken to constitute the be
families in this country. This bears out the On e
portion, which allows to each head of a family anal od'
addition of three for wife, children, servants, and is
ents. However much the employment deP
of wou3e°oo,
children may come in aid of the industry of a bled'
it needs no argument to prove that the most value 0,
cupations are those which employ the adult eutil;rtil
heads of families, upon whose well-doing the c°'
the remainder of the population must chiefly depentad
is especially in this respect that the superior ado? tilro
agricultural employment consists. In the marling -10
districts a man sends his wife and children tot
and each individual of the family swells the nu la
the manufacturers in the occupation returns. ',"„4
agricultural districts adult males are chiefly ealP'tvo'i,
and it is, therefore, but common justice to take i° rs;
count their families, who, with themselves, are suet) 0(
by the cultivation of the soil, though figuring to a efe.
small extent in the commissioners' abstract. Let 13 c
o 9 rain
then, once m re to this important document, andof
the balance between manufacturing and agricultural
cupations. • DO
Allowing for an error admitted by • the cornmisBl°o
agriculture. in Great Britain employs 1,559,278 Per.",ol
and manufactures, of all kinds, 1,140,906; lea id
balance of 418,372 in favour of agriculture, as regartt
dividual employment. But, of the above nurober,4,
adult males employed in agriculture are 1,265,264; °to
the adult males engaged in all our manufactures are Jo,
579,446: agriculture, therefore, maintains 685,818/8811ei
more than manufactures. In other words, agrieult,lo
this country provides for the subsistence of 5,0 u
human beings, and all our manufactures combined n'ae:
tain but 2,317,784, showing an excess in the v 01112;
agricultural employment over manufacturing of 3,7434
persons ; and, were the Irish returns to be added toroo
the d'sproportion would be infinitely greater. L'ip
merce and trade, in all their multifarious avocations, c,.
employ 1,459,963 male.adults, or 194.691 more tbae26l(
culture ; but the Irish statistics would also turn thin,
in favour of agriculture. The disingenuous art of
Leaguers generally induces them to mix up the nal',
employed in trade, commerce, and manufactures !Icg
gether, and thus, by false comparisons, they have eLBe.
lated the numerous stals'ical fallacies which have $
too readily swallowed by their credulous supporters. ,4
commissioners' returns, however, clearly establish bit
even inithe manufacturing portion of the United iti
dom, more than twice as many people are supported
agriculture than by manufactures. If the interest,cl
agriculture and manufactures were really opposed t° eat,
other, as the Leaguers frequently assert, and aPPI,
believe, though they as often deny it, this would stlt,'
an unanswerable argument against sacrificing the great
interest for the sake of the less.
But the avowed object of the league manufartarersi
the extension of our foreign exports ; and, even Fl°l';
there be any truth in the allegation of divided and Or,
ing interests, the manufacturers for the home and coni
markets must be arrayed on the agricultural side, le8ort•
the small fraction of those engaged in foreign eltfo,
alone to oppose them. The annual value of our man° 0
turers has been variously estimated, but certainly at irde
two thirds of the whole are consumed at home; 8° p
the remaining third exported a very large proportieng,
absorbed by our own colonies. Of all our various ma 3'
factures there is only one which alleges that it derti,
more on the foreign than the home market, and tu',le,
the cotton manufacture. Now, how many adult t°,."011
does this boasted cotton manufacture employ? But
more than one-tenth of those engaged in agriculture---;0
138,112, of whom considerably more than half rentog
reality be given to the home trade. At the outside, t'vt
engaged in manufactures for the foreign export maro
cannot exceed 120,000, or, including their fat°lo
,ii
480,000. The real case of the league, therefore, is, '
for the sake of promoting a trade vel ich now gives idp
sistence to 480,000, we are to sacrifice, or materiallY od
jure, an interest which directly maintains 5,061,056 ea,
indirectly supports upwards of 2,000,000 of those clePd
dent on manufactures. This is the policy of the 17,1;
apostles—the new lights of free-trade philosophy; 8,40
wisdom, as well as of the honesty or sanity of those
promulgate it, we may now leave our readers to judge'

THE NEW ROYAL EXCHANGE.-OPENING

OF LLOYD'S.

al
An important step towards the complete occuPat apt
this edifice by its former tenants was accomplisheo
Thursday by the great commercial establishment lin°o,
as Lloyd's taking possession of their splendid and 006
modious apartments. It is now seven years within s°
01t1
ten or fourteen days, since, by the destruction of the e
Exchange by fire on the 10th of January, 1838, theY
deprived of their apartments. They certainly have o'ol
most materially by the change, though in the interibt
they have been exposed to great inconvenience bYtol
narrow accommodation afford, d to them at the
%,„,e
South Sea House. The rooms they now occupY ",10
been so recently described that it is unnecessary to 00'
them now
gr in much detail. oi4
The eat room in which the banquet was given is 130,
fitted up with three ranges of mahogany tables and sea
each table accommodating four underwriters. At rot
north end is a lobby entrance, divided from the fct,t
room by a screen, hating a small room or enclosure tlt
and left for hats, great coats, &c. The warming 06
lighting of this room are considered for business arrang;
meats as perfectly successful, whilst, to provide again;,,
the inconvenience of dark and gloomy weather, two hall
lights are suspended from the ceiling. The only renTbe
we have heard made amongst the occupiers was, that
chandeliers are considered too plain and slender; for
consistent effect with the room in which they are hungiej
The Commercial Room and Captains' Room are fit di
up with sea's -tnd benches of mahogany, and richly aloe
mahogany stands are placed all round the worn, for
reception of newspapers from all parts of the world.' of
The Captains' Room is the coffee-room departmenthoo!
the establishment. Here there is a bar, with kitc trj
and offices attached, for supplying merchants and that°
scribers with coffee, sandwiches, &c.
Lloyd's Committee, under the superintendence 01 ois!
G. R. Robinson, their respected cha;rman, met lamp,:
first time in their board-room on Saturday last. In —e
sequence of the holidays not much business was transacdeei:,
in Lloyd's that day, but their rooms were a good, tbv
crowded by the subscribers and their friends ; aninecti
increased accommodation and convenience were au"
of much satisfaction and congratulation.

•
IRON TRADE IN WALES.—W. Crawsbay, Es'llo
anticipation of an increased demand for railway irotb„,ill,
determined on the erection of an extensive steam rail-rtV
in addition to the already numerous rolling-mills sbuich
Cyfartha Iron-Works, the cutting of a foundation of '1.1.01
was commenced on Monday morning. It is to consls,of
a double set of rolls, saws, and shears, and other neee„s-011
appendages for the completion, if necessary, of nr,„
of 2500 tons of finished rails per month, and all `"00
worked by one steam-engine of very large dirnensieTesl,
the long pressure principle. A great number of 'lOl
hands have been employed, and many will be. as,
Crawshay is anxious that the whole should be rearlYl
months time. This extensive addition to the vv°l:4lo
estimated to cost, at least, £25,000, and will give reboot('
employment, when ready, to about three hundred perSoo,
A new bar-iron rolling-mill, also consisting of two se, of
rolls, was started at these works for the first tit0..,"01
Friday morning last. This addition will give emplorr
to a great number of fresh hands.—Swansea Journa`:
EXECUTlON.—Notwithstanding the great exert,l:e
made to obtain a commutation of the sentence, the bl
CutiOn of Mary Gallop, for the murder of her fatbeiptii
arsenic, took place at Chester on Saturday. The qtioly
since her conviction had exhibited the deepest contridectr
Her removal from Chester Caste to the place of eat of
tion, in front of the City Gaol, took place at midniro 0!
Friday. On parting with Mrs. Bennion, the matr°-d„
the Castle, the culprit was much excited, and exPl5O
her fervent thanks for the kindness she had inori
received at her hands. After partaking of some coffer`beri,
retired to rest, but her slumbers were short and ei do
and, at an early hour on Saturday, she again engage/ 110
devotional exercises with the respected chaplain °,4,10
Castle. In the course of the morning Mrs. Haswell eot,'
governor's wife) supplied her with some refresh7jol'
when she broke forth into lamentations for her Pl6OO
quities, but expressed her conviction that she shoo,' 0.014;
be in heaven, where, she alleged, her father hau4ri
At 11 o'clock she received the sacrament of the P,tiel;
Supper, and appeared to engage in the service sritb;!l)
feeling, continuing her devotions till 12 o'clock, wh
executioner made his appearance, and proceeded to
her, an operation to which she submitted with the oftlll,
perfect docility. She appeared, however, to be tof convulsed, and suffered so much from exhaustiohLfsl
that it was found necessary to carry her to the geTree,,,
the chair on which she had been seated. A last °gore,
was then taken of her by the chaplain and Mr' ssti'd
and immediately the platform fell, and she soon allot f
live. The culprit would have been twenty-one fiellt0;;
age next March. She was short of stature, and y'''ff
be termed good-looking. She wore a black sto be
and plaid black and white shawl. It may be remet4
that, somefew months previous tothe murder of Mr.
his wife was found with her throat cut, when herll4
her unhappy daughter were the only inmates of the 4
and public opinion prematurely fixed the murderV,
mother also on Mary Gallop. The latter, hovireYestY
throughout, utterly denied having had any partly
in Mrs. Gallop's death.
SEASON ABLE FESTIVITIES. —The gaiety that lOr
supreme at this festive season, when friends fito,
assemble at the social board, or whirl in the gid"oso,l
of the dance, induces both sexes to be more tharliefoli
desirous of shining in personal attraction, and to °or'
greater share of attention to the toilet. It is, it t 041,;.
ticular season, that the virtues and singularly helT,,,ti
perties of those auxiliaries of personal beauty, Rol 110(,c
KALYDOR, ROWLAND'S M ACASSAR OIL, tin 41/4l
LAND'S ODONTO, shine pre-eminent in their rori'
while the white and swan-like neck, the rich
, troPb
tress, and the pearly set of teeth form admirable trots
of their inestimable qualities! The august P 3191)
conceded by our gracious Queen, and the sever so?
reigns of Europe, together with the beauties wh'cod
the circles of princely and regal magnifici-nee;Acarfoi
confirmation by experience of the infallible e,04,0
these creative renovatisg specifics, have cheratv
them with perfection, and given them a celehrl;athe,
railed. They have proved the theme of the Pi'e %EV
are celebrated in the periodical literature of t;,,de
civilized world ; the lays of Ilvron, and the 01p",,i)1e,,i0
universal press, have proelai red the incoroPer,,,-ps,'
acco—
tars of the " Oil Macassar," and of its
preparations.