The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-02-15 00:00:00

LOCAL MEETINGS

DISTRICT PROVIDENT SOCIETY.
M firc annual meeting on Tuesday, the Mayor took fhe
chair, rind urged with much force the admirable objects
, • • •. •

which the' institution possesses on t.
public. The report first noticed with regret,
large a town as Liverpool, the annual subscri

he generosity of the

that, in so

ptions to so

useful a society should barely exceed a single thousand
pounds. The casual donations, inclusive of a legacy of
£2 25., between the Ist of May and the 31st Deeember.

were £173 13s. The total number of cases in which re-
lief was granted during the past year was 32,696, at a cost
of £2,607 12s. 6d. ; but the great majority of these cases
was during the first four months—the number between
the Ist of May and the 31st December hating been con-
fined to 9,663 cases, of which 3,633 were English, 5,465
9A- Sr -
2A

also, z4B Scotch, 298 Welsh, ann ,4 not ascertained.
The total number of cases relieved in 1846 was limited to
11,845, of which 6,003 were Irish ; and the total relieved
in 1845 was only 6,646, of whom 3,567 were Irish. The
committee regret that in the face of the increased demands
upon the society, the number of honorary or voluntary
visiters of the society should have continued to decrease,
a loss of 51 having occurred during the past year, 202
names only being now left upon the books. The report
next referred to a falling off in the deposit account, and
attributed if in some measure to the falling off of the
visiters, but more particularly to the general distress
which prevailed. The amount deposited in 1846 was
£8.036 3s. 2d., and there was returned in the same year
£8,488 ; while in 1847 there was deposited £6.409'105. 54d.
and returned £7,062 Gs. 4d. The report next noticed the
success which had attended the establishment of a branch
office in Bispham-street, and the consequent establish-
ment of other branch offices in Jordan-street, in October,
and at the Church of England Schools, in Bond-street,
in December. The greatest number of depositors at any
one time in 1847 was 2,103, against 3,206 in 1846, and
3,545 in 1845. The committee, in conclusion, state that
they have not this season deemed it necessary to make an
extraordinary appeal to the liberality of the public, but if
the demands upon the society should continue as heavy as
during the past month, when £5OO were granted in relief,
they fear that the funds will soon be found quite inade-
quate to meet, the necessary disbursements, and, therefore
call upon the subscribers to interest others on behalf of
the society, and so prevent its languishing.—The balance-
sheet of accounts from the Ist of May to the 31st of De-
cember last, shews that the balance on the Ist of May, in
favour of the institution, was £1,988 7s. 51d. ; and, on
the 31st December, £1,559 14s. 11d. The treasurer ex-
plained that this apparent decrease was chiefly owing to
the extra amount of arrears, in consequence of the accounts
being made up to the 31st of December, instead of the
30th of April; and he alluded with pleasure to the fact
that some very considerable donations had been made to
the institution since the Ist of January, amongst which
was one from Mr, Moss, of £2O. Still, it must be remem-
bered that the balance was now materially lessened ; as,
since the Ist of January, £5OO had been expended in re-
lief. On one day, the monetary relief amounted to
£6 Ils. 6d., and upwards of 1000 sixpenny loaves were
also distributed.—Among the resolutions, which will be
found in our advertising columns, was one submitted by
Dr. Reynolds, with a view to see whether the society had
not suffered in consequence of the discontinuance of pre-
miums to deserving depositors. The Rev. J. Monk said
be considered that with some necessary restrictions to
prevent imposition, a return to the system of premiums
would increase the number of depositors among that class
of persons whom it was mostly the object of thesociety to
assist.

THE LADIES' CHARITY.—The annual meeting of the
friends to this invaluable institution was held on Thursday,
the Rector Brooks in the chair. The report stated that
the past year had not been so favourable as the preced-
ing, as regarded the state of the funds. The receipts in
1846 were £1262.65. 2d., and the expenditure £lO4l 7s. 6d,
leaving a balance to the credit of the institution of £220
18s. Bd. The receipts for the year just terminated,
were £973 9s. 5d., and the expenditure £lO3l 10s. Bd.,
leaving a deficiency of £5B ls. 3d., which, deducted from
the balance of £156 remaining in the hands of the trea-
surer at the end of the year 1847, would leave a surplus of
£9B 7s. sd. The balance in the hands of the treasurer
was small when the demands upon the service of the in-
stitution were likely to be increased by the prevailing des-
titution, and would probably be greater than during auy
former year.
ROYAL INSTITUTION.—The annual meeting was held
on Friday, Dr. Raffles presiding. Dr, Raffles read a long
address regretting the loss of Samuel Turner, Esq„ fellow
of the royal society, who had been removed by the hand
of death. Very little worthy of especial notice had taken
place with respect to the museum ; but Mr. Johnson had
catalogued a list of birds; and they had made purchases
of specimens on conchology and ornithology. Reference
was next made to the great number of persons who had
visited the museum without doing any damage to the
property of the institution. The state of the Royal Insti-
tution School next came in for a share of commendation,
and the chairman said that it was in a still more sufficient
state than ever, so far as regarded its adaptation to a great
commercial community. He could like to see one thing
done in conexion with the institution, and that was the
establishment of a society for preserving and arranging
reports. documents, and memorandums relating to the
town and district. The treasurer's statement was next
read, from which it appeared that the receipts during the
past year amounted to £935 16s. 7d., and there was now,
after payment of their debts, a balance in the hands of the
treasurers and bankers of £333 19s. 10d..

DOCK COMMITTEE.—The deaths of Mrs. Pritchard,
keeper of the lighthouse at Point Lynas, and Mr. William
Williams, keeper of the telegraph on Holyhead mountain.
were reported. It was referred to the marine sub-com-
mittee to recommend successors. Wm. Blundell was ap-
pointed one of the crew of the Liverpool life-boat, in the
place of William Woods, deceased. In reply to the ap-
plication of Mr. Barber, to be allowed to discharge his
vessel in the Albert Dock without weighing the cargo, the
committee recommended that, in consequence of the ad-
ditional security afforded in keeping the accounts, the sys-
tem of weighing on land be continued, more especially as
thatany reduction n
w
atio of
ocuhladr !be e
es whichvery
rfl
t couldtrifling
:
bem ad e by omitting
confirmed. A let-
ter was read from the.,Shipowners' Association, expressing
their unqualified approval of the clause proposed to be in-
serted in the new dock bill for the recovery of the freight
of goods warehoused in the Albert Dock, and offering to
supply evidence in support of the clause (free of expense
to the Dock Committee) before the Committee of the
House of Commons.

ELECT VESTRY.—On Tuesday, a special meeting of
this body was held to consider a motion submitted by. Mr.
Thornely, and the necessity for which he enforced by a
very able and lengthy address. The motion was for the
appointment of a committee for effecting a reduction in
the expense of sending Irish paupers to their own coun-
try—the magistrates' fees forming so large a portion of
such items—and for memorialising the Town Council and
the House of Commons, relative to the injustice done to
the parish in this respect by recent legislative measures.
Prior to 1845, said Mr. Thornely, the expense of sending
Irish paupers over was borne by the county, but since
then the parish has paid the expense. The cost of send-
ing over the paupers to Ireland, from Liverpool, for the
quarter ending 23d Docember last (2,685 families) was
£l6lB, of which £276 was paid for magistrates' clerks'
fees. The families consisted of 4,448 persons, and among
these were only 478 from the hospitals, the rest being
vagrants. None of these persons had any claim on the
parish, and the expense of sending them home ought to
be paid out of the consolidated fund,: and the Vestry
ought to petition parliament for a redress of the grievance.
Mr. Thornely next alluded to the " Five Years Assess-
ment Act," the operation of which was, he contended, in
this parish and several others partial and prejudicial to
the interests of the poor themselves. The fees paid were
2s. for each summons, 4s. for a warrant, and 2s. for eachpass. The sum paid for passes for the half-year ending
March last, was £252, and for the following half-year
£459, the fees for the former period amounted to £445,
and during the latter to £Bl3. The charge for these
things was lower in Manchester and Stockport, though
much less bu.imtss was done. Mr. Thornely then alluded
to the enormous expenses which the parish had lately
been called on to pay, and mentioned as instances :
£7,000 a-year to the Corporation, £lO,OOO for the erec-
tion of schools, £6OOO for carrying recent acts of parlia-
ment, a large amount for new buildings, besides the cost
of the late Irish influx, and the wonder was, under such
circumstances, that a 3s. rate saw us through the exi-
gencies. The Water Works ceased to be liable to rates
the moment they became the property of the Corportion,
doubtless because they were then the property of the bur-
gesses, and on the same ground he (Mr. Thornely)
claimed exemption for the -parish from the payment of
Ttn
hae
eg i
bss
uut rrmag t
eeossfs'
e£s clerks'
,6,a9n4 fees,
dBht
hathed bfees
burgesses
been
n p paid
d fbeingbeingorthese
e stheteh fees
eesratepayersspropertynee t ho
the
act came into operation. Mr. Thornely concluded by re-
commending that the clerks of the select vestry should
fill up the passes. Mr. Ferguson seconded the motion.
He said that Mr. Thornely's speech had proved that the
present system of assessing and levying the rates was ra-
dically bad—that the parishioners were called upon to pay
what they had no right to pay, and that until a national
poor-rate were adopted, justice would not be done to the
people of England. An equalization of taxes was abso-
lutely necessary, and until the Vestry went to parliament
with a very strong hand, and showed that the people of
Liverpool were exceedingly ill-used in this matter, they
would not have themselves righted. The motion was
carried unanimously, and the following gentlemen were
appointed a committee to carry it into effect : The Rev.
Rector Brooks, Mr. Ferguson,Mr. Urquhart, Mr. Lewin,
Mr. Poole, and Mr. Thornely.

Distritt

H. Brooke, Esq., of the Grange, is the sheriff for
Cheshire for the present year.
Sir Robert Peel has subscribed £lO towards repairing
the Independent Chapel at Bellshorn near Blackburn.
The assizes commence at Lancaster, on Saturday, whence
the Judges proceed to Appleby, &c., and finish at Liver-
pool.

The Chester Courant mentions that on Sunday last two
butterflies were taken, one in a garden at Chester, and
the other at Plas-yn-Yale.
A Preston paper mentions that, on Friday, a kingfisher
was found dead in Cadiley Brook, where it bad been
choked in attempting to swallow a roach, which was found
in its mouth.

Mr. Paul Dyson, of Manchester, well known in the
betting circles, wiz found drowned in a brook near the
Reservoir, on Sunday week. There is no doubt that his
death was accidental, his watch and money having been
found on his person.
The operatives in Blackburn who recently turned out
on the proposed reduction of ten per cent. on their wages,
have gone to work again. on the understanding that when
better times male, the wasters will make up the reduc-
tion,:

PA. 15, 184 S.

E. R. Harris, Esq., of Preston, has been appointed
deputy prothonotary for this county, in the place of the
late Mr. Forrest, who committed suicide.
The poor-rates in Walton-le-Dale .re now after the
rate of eight shillings in the pound per year. Even that
high assessment is scarcely equal to the demand upon the
parish through want of employment by the factory open'
tives.

FOWL STEALING.—At Ormskirk, on Monday, William,
Kimmel-, an old offender from North Meols, was charged
with having stolen a quantity of fowls from Mr. WOO
Rimmers, farmer, Formby. Prisoner was captured
Liverpool on the 3rd instant, offering the fowls for sale
at St. John's Market, and was conveyed to Ormskir'
The fowls being identified, he was committed to take ille
trial at the next Kirkdale Sessions.

FEARFUL ACCIDENT.—An awful accident occurred st
Buckley, near Mold, on Tuesday. As two of the al°
were at work at the colliery the roofing of the' mine fell in,
and killed them both upon the spot. They were s°
firmly embedded in the fall that gunpowder woo' necessal
to separate the mass before the bodies were rembved. 43;
the same day, and in the same mine, one man was killed
by an explosion of fire-damp.
THE DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY NEAR MANEfiggi
TIM —lwo of the men, named Connolly and O'Brien. con'
cerned in the robbery of the' Rev. N. Germon. head' max'
ter of the Manchester Grammar School, were apprefiende;
on Tuesday, in a little alley in' Blakeiy-street. On Wer
nesday, they were placed beforb the magistrates. 1%11;
Germon swore to their identity, and' they were remand
to complete the evidence. O'Brien is an Irishman. C°''
nolly was born at Liverpool, but of Irish parents.

•
The coalmasters in the Ruabon district, finding nos d'
vantage in working at present prices, have resolved to,
,e.,
notice of a general reduction of wage*. to take effect in thee
course of this week, The Brymbo company have alreao
done so, and the men have met the reduction in a proper
spirit. The British Iron Company's men,. at Ruabea',
have now been out of work since Christmas.. The rate (/'
wages being quite out of proportion to the profits of trade,
the company were compelled to give notice to their work'
people of a proportionate reduction of wages:
MYSTERIOUS CASE.—On Friday afternoon last, alci
agent for a house in Bloom-street, Manchester,which had
for some time been unoccupied, foutild in the yard 112
earthenware jug, covered with a lid, and within it the
body of an infant. Information was given to the police,
who found another jar also containing the body 'of an nil
fant. Both bodies were in a state of decomposition, and
were filled up with water. The last occupants' of the,
house were two single ladies, one of whom died in it, and
the other, it is stated is now in a lunatic asylum; Theft
used to take lodgers. An inquest was held, the result 01
which was a verdict of "Found dead."

EMPLOYMENT IN MANCHESTER.—Prospects are rather
discouraging at present in the manufacturing disttios:
owing to the advance, though slight, in the price oflcor
ton; the spinners will be unable, if the advance is nasitii
tained, to purchase adequately to the full employment °
their mills, and thousands of hands will thus be throl
out of employment. The number of hands working ru
time in Manchester is nearly 1000 more, by the last
than the preceding one, and there is a considerable ln;
crease in the number of hands wholly out of work, whi''
about 500 hands have been added to those on short time,'
Most of the mills around Manchester are working sho"
time, and the operatives are suffering severely from 10",
wages and the privations of the' slason.

me
NORTH LANCASHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.—ri.-1,1
annual meeting of the subscribers to this society was he;,,
on Saturday last, at the Bull Inn, W. Garnett, Esq.,
the chair, The accounts, it was' stated, had been erf
amined, and showed a balance in favour of the society °
about £lOO. The following officers were elected for the
ensuing year :—President, the Earl of Burlington • vice.
presidents, T. L.W. France, J. N. Farington,
son, and Le Gendre N. Starkie, Esqrs. ; committee, .11,
Birchall, W. J. Garnett, J. Peel A. R. Ford, J. German, Fair,
W. Lamb, A. Begbie, J. Binns, C. Birket, ..
Boagoe, T. Marsden, and W. Rhodes, Emirs. Deputatiod
from Kendal and Yorkshire attended, to propose the et
tension of the society's limits to those places, and theP
proposals will be considered on the 12th March next."'
Preston paper.
A remarkable example of what may be accomplished 11
courage and perseverance under the most discouragi4
circumstances is presented in the history of the "Col,
mercial Bank of England," the seat of which is at M,Bll
chester, with a copy of the present directors' eigr''
annual report of which we have been favoured. This utire
fortunate bank was among the hotbed creations of,„A
banking mania which overtook many parts of the '
1110:
Kingdom, and none more so than Manchester, s°',
twelve or fifteen years since. At the eighth annual melt
ing, held last week, the directors were enabled to prese,s,
a liquidation, all but complete, out of the elements of
order with which they were embarrassed. The total 170
bilities of the unfortunate bank are now reduced
£1,684 16s. 5d., which there are assets to covet of
£2,007 19s. Bd., leaving the small balance rescued out o
the entire wreck of £323 3s. 3d.

• d,
DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—On Friday aftern4:o
as a cheese-factor, (whose name we have not learned,)
walking from Adlington to Macclesfield, he'was stopr;il
near the railway bridge at the former place, by two lo
resembling hawkers, each of whom presented .a pistol 1,5
demanded his money. They snatched at and brokelt
watchguard. A man came up and the robbers ran 00
The alarm being given, the landlord of a public-house
at hand mounted his horse, and, joined by others, purso,f
the chase, and. came up with the fellows after a roil;
about three miles. One of the pursuers, named WY8„1
was fired at, and the ball went through his arm, 70
without touching the bone. The brother of the same magi
was also fired at, and more dangerously wounded in
thigh. Tl'e two robbers were finally apprehended; d
surgeon succeeded in extracting the ball from the boo.fuj
.the man most severely hurt, but he is still in a precatitiof
condition. The robbers are, of course, committed
trial.
,dp
MANAGEMENT OF THE ATHENIEUM—AN Ammar"; of
DISCLOSURE.—The manner in which the loose religlel
and moral principles of one Dawson, a lecturer, embroto.
the directors of the Athenaeum with the friends and
porters of the institution, will probably not have 'flwrr
from the memory of our readers. If not, it will he.oo
membered that in consequence of Mr. Dawson's opit',lbey
becoming,known to the Bishop of Oxford and others,,L
declined to take part in the proceedings of the soiree t,
which Dawson was to be present. The other eveqoo
there was an adjourned annual meeting of the menlut of
of the Athenaeum, in the course of which the condue go
Mr. Langley, as secretary, was very freely discussed it.
much so, that Mr. Langley became hard pushed for su_,,
able weapons of defence. He was charged with incomrof
tence and neglect of duty; and, by way, we suppose,
shewing his competency as the depository, amongst ot"lf,
things, of confidential matters, he let out the follos1;
instance of foul play on the part of Mr. Edwards, of
chairman of the board of directors. The passage is tlef
reported in the Courier of Saturday :—" Mr. Lang
then read a minute, with the view of proving that he "el
placed under the direction of Mr. Edwards, as cilairm t,
of the board. He then read a letter to himself from
Edwards, of date September the 18th, 1846. It comr°,ol
ced with ' My dear sir,' and proceeded thus :--` P° og
say a word about the Bishop of Oxford's letter to
one.' (Loud laughter.) Send me word by the train scloo
leaves at a quarter past five this evening, whether :,At
have answered him. If not, Welkin bind Twill cook
affair—(roars of laughter)—and endeavour to place,' (o
in a wrong position, if we cannot prevail upon ho
alter his mind.' (Laughter.)" This was obviouslivi,
awkward disclosure for Mr. Edwards, and not over I!Aif
sant, we should think, to " Watkin ;" for it very bro7ol
insinuates that " Watkin" is just the kind of man to 0,90 t
in " cooking" a dilemma for a bishop. It is certain')
very creditable to the taste or candour—to use a vt
phrase—of either Party ; but we trust, nevertheless, the
it will be put down to indiscretion and vulgarity, arid tioi
the blab, Mr. Langley, will not have succeeded in ini'fb-V
the institution itself. Whilst upon the subject of Ito'
literary institutions, which profess in some degree to `fer'
rate their members, (but without any disparaging re to'
ence whatever to the Athenaeum,) let us suggest the ;Of
priety of founding in this city a Collegiate Instill doll
upon principles somewhat similar to the noble institui the
in Liverpool, which, among the more respectable °,
middle classes, has almost superseded the Mechanics 01,9
stitution. Some institution of the kind is much Wads
and we should like to see one raised by the hen
Churchmen.—Manchester Courier.
EXPLOSION OF A STEAM BOILER : NINE LIVES o„,
—On Friday morning last, a steam boiler, on the pre,o2,et,
of Mr. Thomas Riley, spindle-maker, Medlock-sPortr
London-road, Manchester, exploded with a loud rev
and was followed by the appearance in the air of htror
stones, iron bars, and other materials. Great conste, Ole
tion prevailed in the neighbourhood. A smithy 0,"01
back was completely destroyed, and within it Mr. It"-/lif
workmen and apprentices were known to be busy stand
time. Strenuous exertions were made by the police
others to extricate such of them as might be found coo,
alive. Mr. Statham, of the firm of Tennants atwd°
happened to pass at the time, and, narrowly eselY
ka
himself, sent his workmen to assist. Several worfoislP
and lads were extricated from the ruins. An elder') 0001 i
named Turner, who was at work over the engine-, boO,
r
was found, and but little injured. The boiler had
suddenly, and the whole building tumbled down• de4
following were found dead : Henry Hughes, an a_PI lt.
tice, about 18 years old ; Charles M'Curdy, agraoo:o
Joseph Atkinson, a lad 15 years old, residing in Pr"g,
street • John Davies, about 18 ; Samuel Chaddertooyri',
10 ; Samuel and John Wadsworth. The last tw°tree
children of Mr. Wadsworth, butcher, of Medlock-505001
from the back door of whose house there is a Poe,
leading to Mr. Riley's premises. The childrensi,
whom was seven, the other two years and a half olu,
playing in the smithy when the explosion occurrs,oo
brother named Richard was with them, who esea_AP7ert,°,"
slight injury on the head ; and also the lad Chad joa',l
mentioned above. The bodies of those who we'
s,:O
dead were taken, some to their respective residenoeol;
others to a stable adjoining the Royal Oak, in Dodo. t
t. 4
street. Those who were injured were conveyer I'7
infirmary. Ten other persons were seriously hurt*/ are,e
of the materials of the building, and/ many pieces egg
were thrown to a great distance, and did more or 00;
jury—premises being injured and parties narrowly 4,,d
ing with their lives. Two dogs were buried eiP„otwo
horse-shoe forge adjoining, but were got out, anti
their gratitude from their release in a variety of oiet4
their deliverers. The engine was found to be c°°'; efied
shattered. Strange to say, notwithstanding the
iirtiio,
destruction, a Dutch clock in a shed close by, C°';fli obe
for some hours ticking as steadily as ever seemi7ol,; d
affected by the shock. On examining the remailllititt
boiler, it was discovered (it is said) that it had beef,lo'
weak and inefficient condition, in parts reduced_,,,tl3d.
of an inch in thickness. with patches badly segn;otillp,
the truth of this report, we, of course, know4o,/,
Mr. Riley, the proprietor, was apprehended on PLffer;i
morning, but was liberated on bail. A...5005p
Benson., died, after the:fatalities stated. Thre.e
(stkrykars) are stall in a. precarious state in the