The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-03 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD HOMCEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
[WEEKLY REPORT.]

New Patients
Old Patients..

20

SO

Total
Physician, Dr. Norton.—Charles Smith, Hon. Sec.

TIDE TABLE.
DAM MEN. EVlst. HEIGHT! HOLYDAYS, ETC.
----
Nov h. rn. h. m. It. in.
Tuesday 3 10 47 II 9 18 8
Wednes. 4 11 32 11 52 l9 2
Thurs... s --- 013 18 S
1
Friday.. 6 033 054 ,1 I. 1
Saturday 7 114 13% 116 9
Sunday . 8 154 214 /5 4 122 d Sunday aft. Trinity
Monday. 9 235 257 il3 14 1

LIVERPOOL INFIRMARY REPORT, OCT. 31.

DISCITARCEV.
.4 TtMITTED .
f n-paticritseured lB ' In-patientQ
' 26
Relieved and at own request 5 I Out-patients I
Made Out-patients 0 f Casual sduring the week.. 3
*rregular
Dead
Consulting Surgeons , Mr. Forshav and Mr. Dawson.
House Surc-con . Mr. M`Cheane.
Apothecary, Mr. George Padley.
House Visitors, W. M Crackan, and T. Macgill,
Chaplain...
RICHARD GIBSON. Treasurer.

Esqrs.

LATEST DATES AT LIVERPOOL.
Direct. I: direct ' Direct. Indirect
, • :
Australia.. .. June 1.4 —ana I .. July 11
Bahia.. ~. .. Sept. 7 St. Helena
• •
ilarbadoes.. .. .. 24 Maranham Sept. 16
Bombay .. .. Oct. 1 Mauritius .. Aug 11
B. Ayres... .. Aug. 23 Mobile .. Oct. 5
Calcutta . .. Sep. 20 Monte Video. Aug. 26
C. G. Hope „ .. 3N. Orleans 1 .. Oct. 4
Charleston. .. Oct. 9 New York
China ..... .. Aug. 27 i Pernambuco . Oct. 1
Demerara.. .. .Sept. 181 Rio Janeiro 1 .. Sept. 1
Havana... .. .. 22: 7
I
Jamaica... .. .. 23 i Valparaiso . .. June 27
La Gusyra. .. I. „ 27$ Vera Cruz k .. Sept. 5

LONDON GAZE? TE.-TUESDAY, OCT. 27.

PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED.
P. S. Macliver and T. N. Ca'thrall. Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
letterpress printers—J. Wilson. R. W. Lang, end D. Taylor,
Manchester, merchants—S. Halliday, W. Spencer, J. Tidswell,
and J. Cockroft, Southowram, Yorkshire, silk-waste dressers;
as far as regards J. Tidwell—M. Ccckshott and E. Gretton,
Bury, Lancashire, school mistresses.
DIVIDENDS.
Nov. ;8, B. M. Burroughs. Liverpool. ironmonger—Nov. 19,
T. Walker, Leeds, tallow chandler—Nov. Ig. J. Hall, Leeds,
chemist—Nov. 19, T. end J. Scrtt, Birmingham, merchants—
Nov. 26, W. Wood, Shrewsbury: wine merchant.

BANKRUPTS.
VVilliam Andrew Angus. East-street, Walworth, grocer.
William Pa'mer, Strand, hosier.
Thomas Bateman, Coventry. vlctualler.
Sally Budd, Newton Abbot. Devonshire, grocer.
CE RTI F ICATES
To be granted, unless cause be shown to the contrary on the

day herein mentioned.
Nov. 18, G. Steele, Durham, grocer—Nov. 20, S. Hey, Colne,
Lancashire, wors!cd manufacturer—Nov. L. H. Stelling, Well,
Yorkshire, top maker—Nov. IS. T. Cooke, 13ridge-terrace, Har-
row-road, plasterer—T. Ward, Nottingham, maltstcr.

FROM THP. LONDON OAZETTE OP FRIDAY.
PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED.
W. J. Pendleton and I. Hodgson, Manchester, machine ma-
kers—R. W. Roberts and 0. Williams, Liverpool, painters—J.
Whittle and S. A. Dawson, Whalley, Lancashire, land surveyors.
DECLARATIONS OF DIVIDENDS.
A. Ross and J. Ogilvie, Argyll-street, army agents.
G. Parker, Sheffield, spade manufacturer.
G. Ratcliffe, Sheffield, fender manufacturer.
J. and Z. Wilkinsun, Bradford, Yorkshire, worsted stuff ma-
nufacturers.
T. Jackson, Salterhebble, Yorkshire, worsted spinner.
H. liartop, Hoyland, ironmaster. -
BANKRUPTS.
Thomas Broady, Chester, Chemist.
Edward Bowen, Little Bolton, Lancashire, flour dealer.
Benjamin Edward Walker. Upper Fitzroy-street, Fitzroy-
square, publican.
John Jenkins, Blackland-lane, Chelsea, comkeeper.
Thomas Bradbridge, ‘A'r,,ir...treet Soho, cheesemonger.
DIVIDENDS.
Nov. 21, P. Rhodes, Manchester, cotton spinner—No, 24, F.
Whitworth, Rochdale, cotton manufacturer.
CERTIFICATES
To be granted, unless cause be shown to the contrary on the
day of meeting.
Nov. 20, E. Jones. Liverpool, ironmonger—Nov. 2e, P. Bury.
Manchester, calico printer—Nov. 2;), W. Gill, Warrington, Lan_
cashire, corn merchant.
SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.
Rev. Donald Cameron, Lagga.n, InvernesssLire.

MEETINGS OF CREDITORS FOR LIVERPOOL.
Nov. Houa.
3, Wwarcl Swanwick Boult (2nd) District Court 11
3. John Orange, (,-.nW
Ditto, 'll
3, William Lancaster, (2nd).... Ditto, 12
5, James John Hance (audit) : Ditto, 11
10, Wiliam Coulter ;2d) Ditto, 11
10, John Evans (proof)
11, James Gillman (proof and div.).
13, Ilewson Dutchman (2d) .
13, William Beamer-(2d)..
13, Thomas Broady (Ist) Ditto, l

STATE OF TRADE.

ViANCHESTBR.—The business of this market has been very
Irregular. On the whole, there has been little apparent activity.
yet it is certain some considerable investments have been made
quietly, at a slight advance on the old rates, by some of the
larger export houses, who anticipate an advance in prices as a
consequence of the limitation of production which is taking
place. The advices from the Indian mai kets reported by the
Times express to day (Friday), are deemed unfavourable, and
will doubtless tend to decide the mare. general adoption of
"short time." As money still continues to be so cheap, it is
expected that the holders of cotton will be firm, and prices will
not recede beyond present rates; manufacturers, therefore,
calculating' on the effects of reduced production, are always
asking such advances as must practically stop the operations of
buyers. As there are already symptoms of the speculation in
corn falling through, and the prices cif bread stuffs receding,
the prospects of the home demand for manufacturers are ex-
pected to brighten Stocks of goods generally, alth,ugh mo-
derately plentiful, cannot be called heavy. The curtailment of
supply will soon relieve the mr.rkets, and in such case higher
prices will become inevitable. We quote to.dny's currency as
follows, premising that they are manufacturer's rates; buyers.
however, find it difficult to contract for less. and are reluctant
to concede the demand : —26 inch,
_ reed printers, at 4s 6d to
4s gd ; 27 inch. 66 reed ditto, at 45 6d to ss ;ad; 27 inch, 72
reeds, at 55 sad to 6s ; 96 inch shirtings. 66 reed, 7s fd to Ss 6d;
72 reed ditto. Qs 3d to 10s 40 inch G. E. India I.crigcloths, 56
reed, 6s pd toe's lOad ; 61 reed. 75 Iqui to Cs; 66 reed. Qs lid to
ps 3d ; 72 reed, ga 9d. to la.s. Yarns aro without material
change; No. 2e's, water twist, good seconds, may be quoted at
81d per lb, and No. 40's mule, ditto, at pad.
Itocrins La.—To-day we have had a dull market, very little
business being transacted, and prices remain stationary. In the
wool market there is no change, either in prices or quantity
sold.

HvonEnsrm.D.—We have had a very flat market to-day, and
as there have been no buyers in the town, it has been equally
bad in the warehouses. Altogether there seems to be a very
unfavourableyrospeetfor the winter.

. -
LEEDS —We have this wee; had very dull markets at our
Cloth Halls; there continues to be a complete absence of specu-
lation. and she purchases appear to he nearly confined to
purchases to trder by houses in the home trade. There are,
however, a few orders on for light goods for the eastern mar-
i:cts. The busine s done in the warehouses this week has been
about an average of the last few weeks, but there is very little
doing in goods for shipping.
BRADFORD.—WooI Market. —There is nothing fresh to add
since our last repott, so far as improvement in the demand;
every thing is es dull as pos,ible, and the sates during the week
are very trifling. The supply in the market is good, and the
disposition firm in maintaining late prices —Yarn Market.—
Now that the shippers are not so active, this branch of the trade
is less animated, in consequence of which we learn that many
extensive shipping houses have already commenced working
short time. We are glad, this prudential expedient has.been so
early adopted. As the prices current for yarns will not admit
of a pr' fit for the spinner, and the only means to bring down
the price of the raw material, and maintain the price for yarns,
is the course now adopted. and which, we hear, is likely to be-
come general.—Piece Market.—The business done is not great
and that chiefly in plain goeris, such as merinos. Orleans, and
paramattas, which are suited for winter. 'the shipping houses
are not so busy as we have known them at this period of the
year.
LatessiTa.—Trade is but dull for the season. The wholesale
dealers are buying very cautiously, and only for present wants,
The manufacturers for the country trade continue to experience
mote demand than those engaged in the London trade . the
machinery is. we believe.•all employed. In wool little is doing ;
the spinners buy cnly for immedfate use, and the staplers
are
firm in price, from the conviction that they cannot replace their
of the cotton stocking trade is
s:oNenkTirro,
smG tnhAeleg.r_oTwheer aetnnlower
nr ant
State
°tint eat
ni tdhas shirt eberna nehdiusreinggiiatiblre
he some
drawer
raenssdepda
airintmumuenh theT
in a depressed state, though there are some shops in Notting-
ham that have had full employment for a great length of time.
The shirt part of this branch, though it seemed to flourish in the
spring, has fallen off, and tow 'contrasts mournfully with
Leirester,where
thismanufacture is very extensive, and has in-
creased. Great speculation has been displayed in making these
at t'cles, principally by at earn propelled frames, there being about
thirteen existing patents for frames construe ed upon different
principles
;olhe common stocking frame. At length, however.
the warp frame has been kssayed to this Manufacture, and we
have seen shirts made of warp net, %illicit have all the appear-
ance of the common stocking.wale, only they are more elastic,
and made at a speed which leaves rotary stocking frames far in
the rear. The cotton glove trade is much better than the hose
trade ; but the silk glove branch is in the same deplorable state
that it his been G r several mouths past. This branch, we
understand. is in a very different state at Nismcs, in France
and in the vicinity of that place, the French hands having ful
employment. in the making of good and fashionable articles.
The fancy bobbin net trade is still extremely depressed, and
teningetidOrl agents assert it is

Qijt iLibirpoot 'tanbarb.

TUESDAY .217ORNING, _NOV. 3, 1846.

The result of the municipal election yesterday
slightly surprises us. A victory in any encounter
with Whig-Radicalism we know that we can win ;
but a victory with unprepared, and—thanks to Sir
Robert Peel—a divided force to bring into the field
against a well organised antagonist, is more than
we should hive dared to hope for. Such, how-
ever, we cannot but consi,ler the result of yester-
day's polling. Of the sixt( en wards vacated, ten
have returned Conservatives. Three were uncon-
tested—Conservatives in two, and a Whig-Radical
in another walking the course—and two more being
postponed until to-day, owing to the inability of the
aldermen of the wards to preside, as required by the
municipal act. In. three wards—Lime-street, St.
Paul's, and North Toxteth—the Whig candidates
have been successful, and in eight contests the Con-
servatives have won.

If anything had been required to satisfy us that
the constituencies of Liverpool are essentially Con-
servative, the result of this election would do so.
We repeat that we had not sufficient preparation for
a contest. Had we been properly generalled, is it
to be conceived as within the bounds of probability
that Mr. Henry Danson would have been permitted
to represent Lime-street, especially with so respect-
able and efficient an opponent as Mr. Saunders,
For St. Paul's, we are thoroughly convinced a vic-
tory might have been won, had a candidate been
sufficiently early in the field. Mr. Briscoe is an
unexceptionable man. As a tradesman he is re-
spected by all who know him, and is most popular
in the ward. Three days more opportunity of
placing his merits before the notice of the electors
would have made him safe.
In North Toxteth, too, we lose, Padicalism re-
turning Mr. Robert Benn, to the exclusion of a
tried friend of the ward, Mr. John Sheppard. In
common charity, we hope the Council will autho-
rize Mr. BFrin to weep over the Albert Warehouses.
Perhaps he can tell us why they cannot be insured ;
or, it may be that his tears, preserved by Mr. Eyre
Evans, may supply the means of counteracting any
conflagration which may occur.
In Vauxhall, St. Anne's, and we expect to be
able to add Scotland Ward, we have put Conserva-
tives in the place of Radicals.
We must not conclude without directing attention
to the two wards which have to be decided to-day.
Scotland Ward is our own if we choose to put forth
our strength. Mr. Thornhill must not, in these
days of sanitary interest, he allowed to walk over a
respectable tradesman and a man of business. Mr.
James Holme and Mr. William Thornhill—Which
is the man best calculated to meet the present
emergency of the Council—to superintend the sewer-
ing and ventilating of the town ? The electors in
Scotland Ward will furnish the answer to-day.
Of South Toxteth we have strong expectations.
We cannot afford to lose an amiable man, a good
Conservative, and an active Councillor, like Mr.
Glazebrook. We implore the Conservative electors
to be early at the poll, and secure at the outset a
large majority. Cannot some of the active gentle-
men in other wards devote another portion of their
valuable services to South Toxteth to-day. Their
exertions will be highly prized, and may tend to
make the victory more triumphant.

His Lordship, the premier, is proving himself,
his own friends admit, unequal to the position to
which the cruel kindness of his astute predecessor
advanced him. A few ye rs ago Sir Robert Peel,
when engaged in the formation of his cabinet, in-
formed the world that "Ireland was his chief diffi-
culty." We well remember with what an amusing
display of self-satisfaction Lord John allowed it to
be inferred that, in his hands and by the use of his
specifics, Ireland could present no difficulty at all.
The utmost that could be required was the throw-
ing of a few sops into the jaws of the many-headed
Cerberus, who keeps watch at the gate of that social
Tartarus, to deny admission to everything like prac-
tical efforts to remove the evils under which her
wretched population labours, and to allay the fer-
ment of agitation by which they are stirred up to
outrage and to crime. Take Daniel O'Connell in-
to the councils and favour of the government ;
withdraw the ban imposed upon the leaders of the
Repeal agitation ; distribute comrnissionerships,
and create stipendiaries out of Whig-radical and
Popish materials in sufficient abundance ; threaten
a few heavy blows against the Irish Protestant
Church ; make the body of Irish Protestant land-
owners quake for the security of their rent-rolls,
and amuse the squatters in her bogs and upon her
fertile spots with an indefinable shadow of ultimate
appropriation of their holdings, under the title of
fixity of tenure; and all would go well. Whig-
radical administration of the affairs of that singular
country would be an ovation—merry as a station,
a wedding or a christening, and almost as full of fun
as a wake itself.

Well, Lord John has entered upon the admini-
stration of Irish affairs, we grant a most difficult
crisis. O'Connell is his own. " Dear Ray" is his
particular friend. The " Head Pacificator " is both
sober and well-behaved. Here were materials—
here was a corps d'action which, for efficiency, no
minister ever before possessed in that country.
Yet with the whole Repeal staff to aid him in his
efforts to administrate a remedy for the disaster
which has befallen Ireland, in the pertial loss of the
potatoe crop—with a well-trained body of priests
to restrain the wild passions, and to guide the wil-
ful ignorance of the people—Lord John appears in
a state of hopeless bewilderment. He has pre-
sented to him an actual tangible difficulty. He has
to set a half-starving population to work. The
State has opened its purse-strings for the purpose
of providing the funds. Yet, with all his new alli-
ances, his lordship appears incapable either to act
or decide in the emergency. The arch mendicant,
powerful for evil, deserts him at his need, and bab-
bles
of a convention of Irishmen in College-green.
The whole tribe of Repeal wardens and collectors
maintain a sullen silence, for the rent has become a
mere tenuity—an anatomy of its former self ; and
the priesthood—the sworn allies of liberalism—
have been only active in deranging the working of
the machinery set in motion for supplying the wants
of the population; brawling at presentment sessions,
and doing their utmost to render their proceedings
so many absurd and mischievous farces. The re-
sult has been what might have been foreseen—a
mass of abortive plans; the sanction of a host of
useless and unprofitable works—railways, roads and
canals, which might with quite as much propriety
be projected to the moon, for any chance which
there appears to exist of their Lein; either executed
or attempted. A crude and bungling piece of
legislation has been thrown upon the troubled
waters of Ireland's politics and social disorganiza-
tion, without a tongue to explain its provisions, or
hands or a head to direct their operation.
In the emergency in which he has found himself,
Lord John appears to have found it necessary, for
the preservation of his character for omniscience, to
have a fling at the landlords of Ireland. Truly un-
fortunate men, these same Irish landlords are.
They have abandoned during the present year,
some ten per cent., some twenty per cent., and some
the whole rental of their property ; but Lord John
appears to have expected from them something
more than a sacrifice of their property. They were
to have made up by their sagacity for his own short-
sightedness—to have interpreted at a glance his
own sorry legislation. The Act of Parliament de-
vised for the employment and relief of the peasantry
of Ireland, permitted public works to be projected
and carried on by the aid of loans from the State,
to be repaid by the landowner. Lord John is in a
fever because the landowner is not able at once to
say how much of the burthen, and in what way he
can take it upon. himself. " It had been," he says,
" Our hope and expectation, that landed proprietors
would have commenced works of drainage and other im-
provements on their own account; thus employing the
People on their own estates, and rendering the land more
Productive for the future. In that case, it would have
been only the surplus labour which would have been em-
ployed on roads, and other works not immediate profitable.
" The act, however, was put in operation in the baro-
nies, in a spirit the reverse of that which I have described.
It was taken for granted that the public works were the
chief objects to be regarded, and proprietors began to
calculate, that as so large a sum was to be repaid from
their estates, they should not be able to commence or
even to continue private enterprises for the improvement
of their own lands.
An awful confession ! Lord John and his col_
leagues expected that the landed propritors of Ire_
land would have commenced works of drainage an
other improvements on their own account, wi d

rentals unpaid, and a seditious priesthood teaching
the people that their landlords were bound to pro-
vide them with fcod in their emergency. Yet it is
found that a liberty has to be taken with the Act of
Parliament, to enable the landlords to project any
thing really useful and profitable. The whole
budget of Irish legislation turns out to be a farce—
a hoax or something more—a thing to be made
merry over by unfledged priests at presentthent
sessions, and the landlords of Ireland are to be the
scapegoats of Ministerial inefficiency.
With singular inconsistency, however, the tail of
his lordship's letter contradicts its commencement.
The poor Irish landlords were wrong at first, and
are all that is amiable'at last. " 1 would here,"
he says,
" Conclude this letter, which is already too long ; but
I cannot do so without expressing my conviction, that
there is every disposition in persons of property in Ire-
land to meet the difficulties fairly, and submit to any sa-
crifices which the public good may require."
The preceding portion led us to expect that they
were anything but prepared to meet their difficulties
fairly.

The question who is to be the Mayor of Liverpool
for the ensuing year has been tantalising our Whig
and Radical contemporaries for some weeks past.
In the absence of any difficulty as to the selection of
a properly qualified party, we are told of " tricks
and manoeuvres" to exclude a certain gentleman
from the civic chair. Mr. George Hall Lawrence
is to be pitched overboard—his services forgotten—
and, Mr. Bramley-Moore waiving his claim, we are
to place "a creature of our own" in the Mayoralty !
And who is this "creature," pointed at by our con-
temporary of the Journal ? Mr. Thomas Berry
Horsfall—a man as little likely to be creature of
faction as our contemporary is likely to discover the
philosopher's stone, or to square the circle.
Possibly our Whig-Radical friends will concede
to us the chance, at least, of being as well informed
as themselves. We can tell them that there is no
" clique" working one way or the other. Perhaps
we might hint that Mr. George Hall Lawrence, who
has well earned the honour, is likely to be pro-
moted to the mayoralty. Mr. Bramiley-Moore's
claim we thoroughly appreciate, but we never put it
forward. He never put it forward. It will, how-
ever, be responded to in due time by his fellow-
townsmen. At this moment we do not know a
gentleman to whom Liverpool is more indebted, for
sacrifices of time and for talent devoted to its inte-
rests, tl:an it is to Mr. Bramley-Moore.
With respect to Mr. Horsfall, we are certain that
he will never be placed in the position of compe-
tition for the office of Chief Magistrate fo: Liver-
pool with any opponent. When Mr. Horsfall is
Mayor, it shall not be by any " trick" or " manoeu-
vre," resorted to in order to evade the claims of a
friend. Mr. Horsfall would not thank his party
for making him Mayor under such circumstances.
There is a nobler game before him—one in which
we may shortly have to fight. Liverpool may have
to select from amongst her merchant citizens, not a
Mayor, but a representative of her interests in the
legislative assembly of the nation. Here we shall
have great pleasure in advocating the cause of Mr.
T. B. for sfall. Such a man need not stickle
for municipal preferments. He has within him all
that is required to render distinguished the cha-
racter of a member of a. higher house than our
municipal chamber; and there is not one of his
fellow•townsmen who will not feel honoured in
his success upon such an arena.
As regards Mr. Bramley-Moore, we could almost
assure him of the honour of the Mayoralty ; but,
much as We value him, we should prefer his waiting
for that honour, for the sake of the benefit which
we hope to derive from his set vices upon the Dock
Committee. We can't afford to lose a good man at
that board for the mere consideration of Mayoralty.

It is gratifying to observe the growing interest
that is manifest relative to that important question,
the " Tea Duties."

It really is monstrous that such an exorbitant
duty as that now levied, amounting to from two to
six hundred per cent. should still he persisted in,
the more particularly so now, when our commer-
cial views are becoming so enlightened : but the
fact is the tea duties' are and always have been a
kind of pet affair' with all and e. ery administra-
tion,inasmuch as they derive from the man immense
revenue at trifling expense. They do not consider
that if they reduced the duty to we will say one
shilling the pound (a higher rate would be useless),
that an increased consumption to nearly double the
extent would be the result almost the very first year,
thereby proving their fears as to the revenue to be
groundless. We consider too that if the anticipa-
tions of the increased consumption were not quite
realised, that government would be at no loss ; as
from the increased demand for other commodities
which pay duty, they indirectly would be more than
amply compensated ; they also do not take into
consideration the moral tendency of such a liberal
line of policy upon the kingdom at large. It is in-
disputable that tea is an agreeable and healthful be-
verage, and now almost a necessary of life ; indeed
a greater boon and one the public would more high-
ly prize than cheap tea it would be difficult to point
out. As a natural consequence the government who
grant it would receive the grateful support of the
nation.

Even putting the before mentioned argument out
of the question, we beg to submit that reciprocity is
due to the Chinese,—it is admitted on all hands
that a more liberal tariff than that granted by Sir H.
Pottinger could
.not have been expected, indeed it
almost surpassed our most sanguine anticipations.
With other countries with whom we have commer-
cial relations the duties in comparison are almost
prohibitory to our manufactures. Let it then no
longer be a reproach to us that we are outdone in
our commercial policy by a comparatively barbarous
people.
It is a well ascertained fact that with a few excep-
tions the Chinese are poor, consequently specie is
scarce, how then are we to increase our trade other
than by further interchange of commodities. Their
principal product is tea, ours manufactured goods,
both of which can be supplied by either country to
almost unlimited extent—why then should restric-
tions be placed upon a trade the extension of which
would prove so beneficial to both countries ; it is
unjust, impolitic and highly prejudicial to the
dawning resources of that vast empire,and is endan-
gering the very existence of our present trade, and
also the good understanding which subsists between
us.

We have now, thanks to our gallant troops, a fast
footing in the country, which if followed up on our
part by a more liberal commercial policy in con-
junction with the efforts of our worthy missionaries,
there is every reason to hope would ultimately tend
to their entire civilisation. What a noble field is
here open to the efforts of the Christian ; the philan-
thropic mind should at once seize upon it and give
the question his most strenuous support.
It will he unnecessary for us to enter into details
relative to our present trade with the celestial em-
pire,seeing the statistics of it have so frequently been
before the public, more particularly in an able pam-
phlet published some short time ago by an esteemed
townsman, to the careful perusal of which we have
much pleasure in recommending those who are de-
sirous of a more intimate acquaintance with the sub-
ject. We will, however, merely observe that the
China trade is one of the most important branches
of the commerce of this great port in which our
merchant princes are engaged.
We learn with much satisfaction that an influen-
tial body connected with the, trade have taken up
the matter, and will energetically urge upon the pre-
sent government the immediate necessity of a reduc-
tion in the duty ; we wish their laudable efforts
every success, and would press upon all mercantile
bodies, that they give this momentous question, in-
teresting as it is alike to all, their fullest co-opera-
tion and support.

His worship the Mayor has received already the
only meed of thanks for his past services, which the
body, over which he has presided for the last twelve
months, could pay him ; and, in accordance with
our usual practice, we have to offer a few remarks
upon the manner in which he has discharged his
onerous duties. In ordinary cases this is no diffi-
cult matter. It is easy for any journalist, not to-
tally blinded by'faction, to give credit where credit
is due, even to a political opponent; and as we have
done so in every previous instance, we shall scarcely
be accused of indulging our political predilections
in noticing the career of Mr. David Hodgson.
From his first entrance upon the dignified office,
which he is about to retire from, Mr. Hodgson has
been the mark of Whig-Radical calumny and spite.
His very features have been watched, and made the
subject of venomous comment. His manner, his
voice, his thoughts almost have been journalized
upon with a bitterness which is unaccountable, un-

less we pre-suppose the existence, on the part of his
revilers, of direct personal animosity. Yet Mr.
Hodgson has had thrown upon his shoulders,
during his year of office, a responsibility exceeding
that of most of his predecessors ; and has discharged
that responsibility to the perfect satisfaction of the
unbiassed majority of his fellow-townsmen. There
is nothing tangible which the bitterest of his cen-
sors can lay to his charge. As the chief magistrate
of our town, he has been most accessible and im-
partial. The united testimony of the Conservative
and Whig-Radical agents for the revision of the
municipal lists is evidence of the total absence of
party leaning in the Mayor, whilst performing the
important functions which the municipal act imposes
upon him. In his capacity of host to the Consort
of our gracious Sovereign, he fulfilled his duty
most creditably to the town, whilst his refusal of
the honour usually rendered on such occasions—
that of knighthood—sufficiently showed that it was
for no selfish end that he had worked.

We might say a word or two upon the unge-
nerous way in which his worship has been remarked
upon, at the close of his office, by certain of our
Whig-Radical contemporaries. If these gentlemen
will refer to our own columns, they will certainly
not find, in our remarks upon retiring mayors
of Whig-Radical politics, any such exhibition of
spitefulness as is contained in the Mercury of Fri-
day, or Journal of Saturday. Tastes differ, how-
ever, and perhaps our contemporaries could not
restrain themselves.

We have taken, hitherto, little share in the con-
troversy carried on with respect to the comparative
merits of the Bala Lake and Rivington Pike scheme
of supplying Liverpool with water. It has not,
however, been for want of a due appreciation of the
magnitude of the question at issue, or its import-
ance to the interests of our fellow-townsmen. Mere
guesses, however, or information picked up at ran-
dom from pet enquirers, are not matters in which
we are in the habit of dealing. We don't
like either to hurry our local legislature to con-
clusions which we cannot warrant by well ascer-
tained facts.

We give, however, in our columns this day, what
we really think is sufficient evidence to suggest to
the Council the propriety of at least pausing before
they take any definite step in the water question.
It is clear that the Rivington Pike mode of supply
must be reconsidered, and all we need say in addi-
tion, is to urge upon the Council the propriety of
a more careful examination of our position and
prospects.