The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-08-15 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

Commons is the place in which such personages as

modest John most speedily arrive at a correct notion

of their really small dimensions !

ig perplexing, as well as alarm-
ng, in the contemplation, of the present state of

There is sometl

Wales

We have never listened to the thousand
and one stories which have been promulgated, with
respect to the identity and rank of the mysterious

We are inclined to think that
here are " many Rebeccas in the field." We can-

virago, Rebccca

not believe that men of rank and station encourage

an agitation with so petty an object in view as the

'struction of toll-bars; or even the greater one of

putting down the new poor-law system in Wales.
And yet it is evident that great talent, and great
energy, direct this extensive organisation, which so
daringly and so effectually defies and laughs at the
power of the law, as well as the arm of the military;
and it becomes more palpable every day that an
effort must be made, at once, by the government to

unravel this mysterious and threatening state of

From all that we have yet seen, it cannot be that
the perpetrators of those midnight outrages of which
we daily hear, are of the same station and character
with those who arc to be found implicated in similar
outrages in Ireland, or who have ever displayed a
similar spirit in the agricultural districts of our own
country. Rebecca is neither a "Swing," a " Cap-
tain Rick," nor an O'Connell. Her followers are
not the same debased and demoralised hordes who
have followed the bidding of any of these incendia
ries. There can be no more doubt of the fact than
we have of our own existence, that, whoever may be
their leader or leaders, amongst the followers of Re-
becca are to be found many who occupy respectable
I positions in life—men who are to be met with by
day, at fair or market, enjoying respectable charac-
ter in the eyes of their fellow-countrymen. If the
bulk of the active disturbers are labourers, colliers,
or copper miners, they have with them, to g ide
their movements and to provide the means of suc-
cess, both tradesmen, farmers, and perhaps gentle-
men. And in this circumstance is to be found the
threatening character of the conspiracy, which appa-
rently extends now throughout the principality, and
the pressing necessity of an immediate examination
into the causes of its origin and the objects of the
conspirators. They can be no light causes—they
can be no petty objects—which have thus bound
together and organised against the law an entire
people !

We fear that such an enquiry would elicit the
fact that a great portion of the farming classes and
small traders throughout Wales are, from some cause
which we do not stay to point out, labouring under
the pressure of severe distress. For the alleviation
of this, a government commission could of course
provi le no remedy, and even " the wisdom of par-
liament" might find itself at fault. But there must
be other and serious causes for the prevailing discon-
tent, which such a commission might be able to
trace and parliament to remove. At all events the
effort must be made; and, we trust, that we shall
not see the present session permitted to conclude,
without some explanation from Sir Robert Peel's
government and some assurance offered, not that
the peace of the country will be preserved—for
that we have a sufficient military force to effect—
but that the evil—the mysterious evil—which pro-
duces all this disaffection and violence, shall be
probed to its root.

It may be possible that the "do-nothing policy"
may be the wisest course to pursue towards the dis-
affected masses in Ireland, though we fear and be-
lieve that it is not. It is true that nothing in ,he
shape of remedial effort towards Ireland can be made
with any prospect of success, whilst the people of
that country maintain their present hostile attitude,
and continue their present injurious agitation. But
such a difficulty does not exist in the case before us.
We have in the Principality a loyal Saxon people,
hitherto the devoted supporters of peace and order.
We see them, it is true and to be regretted, just now
taking into their own hands the redress of real or
imagined grievances; but we hear of no rebellious
threats uttered aganist the throne or the institutions
of the country. The grievances of the Welsh peo-
ple are local, and of local cure; and here the go-
vernment may, without the sacrifice of its dignity,
step in at once, with at least a disposition to arrive
at the truth and to apply the remedy, if found to be
within its reach.

an extraordinary swallow for fluids might take a
fancy to bolt the Giant's Causeway or the Dublin
Custom House, or perhaps the Hill of Houth itself,
by way of preparatory solid before a draught so
enormous.

A BOWING MATCH.—The debate, or properly
perhaps the squabble, which took place on Friday
last on the subject of the Chelsea Pensioners' Bil!,
afforded to the House of Commons as singular an
exhibition, and as amusing a one, as any which has
been exhibited for months past in that or any other
place of performance. Mr. B. Williams, the mem-
ber for Coventry, and double of Mr. Joseph Hume,
rose to ask a question. Mr. Bright rose at the
same time to move the adjournment of the house;
and, as we are informed by the report in the London

Times,

" The hon. member for Coventry and the hon. member
for Durham both continued on their legs bowing to each
other several times amidst roars of laughter, neither of
them appearing inclined to give way. The hon. member
for Coventry, however, persevered, and at length his
rival, less accustomed to the laughter of the house, re-
sumed his seat."

Who could wonder at the roars of lr ughter at such
a scene ? The attempt of Mr. Williams to enact
the drawing-room beau must have been sufficient to
convulse a stoic ; but the graceful (. efforts of the
Rochdale Quaker, in the same line of performance,
must have been irresistible ! When such exhibitions
of elegance can be afforded us by two such person-
ages, we may be almost inclined to think that, not
" the schoolmaster" only, but the dancing master
"is abroad" ! After all, and jbking apart, it is
pleasant to see a spirit so pacific actuating honour-
able members towards each other. In the American
legislature a contest for precedence between any two
members would have been decided by the bowiely
knife. Here we have it decided quite as efficaciously
by " persevering bowing." In time, no doubt, as
Quakeris►n gets perfect in accomplishments, we shall
arrive at hornpipe dancing or the Highland fling !

SIGNIFICANT—BUT OF WHAT ?—The repealers
are becoming savage. Scarcely an Irish paper
reaches us which does not record three or four
murderous attacks committed upon some unpro-
tected protestant, or some loyal member of their
own faith. The " peaceful agitation" is degene-
rating into a system of midnight ruffianism or open
outrage, similar to that practised in years past under
the dictation of the " Ribbon" authorities, or Cap-
tains " Rock" and " Starlight." Along with this
changed state of affairs it is scarcely possible to
avoid noticing the absence of that tone of furious
bluster and bravado, which used formerly to cha-
racterise the speeches of Daniel, the great leader of
the repeal sedition. We hear less of hi, professions
of readiness to shed his blood for his favourite
hobby ; and, more than all, we see the promised
meeting of a parliament in Dublin, with its ac-
companying measures of confiscation and proscrip-
tion, postponed from this year 1843—" the repeal
year (!)"—to a more distant and indefinite period !
Of what are these things significant ? Is the
" peaceful" system found to be one unlikely to
succeed ? Have the preparations of " the Iron
Duke"—the preparations of lead and steel, musket
and artillery—at length been discovered to be such
as repealers have little chance, ultimately, to with-
stand ? We much suspect that some notion of this
sort has alarmed the cowardly blusterer—that " re-
bellion has ill luck," (thanks to the preparations of
that member of her Majesty's government, who
assures us that nothing in his department is ne-
glected ;)—and that henceforth we are to be visited
merely with desultory murder and outrage in Ireland,
instead of that simultaneous and successful stand
against the law, which perhaps was originally con-
templated ! There is a changed feeling somewhere,
it is evident; we do not say that it is for the better.
We much prefer the open onset to the cowardly
night attack. Of one circumstance, however, this
change is significant. It proclaims to us that,
ruthless and bloodthirsty as are the agitators for re-
peal, they prefer a whole skin and immunity from the
gallows to the overt indulgence of their longing for
rebellion, with the prospect before them of an
adequate force to put it down. However dilatory
and hesitating may be, in our opinion, and in the
world's opinion, the policy of the present govern-
ment towards the repeal traitors, by the aid of the
sturdy duke's precautions, we are enabled to sleep
in our beds, here in England, with tolerable as-
surance of safety. Our brethren in Ireland, how-
ever, are scarcely in so happy a position. The rebel
arm, which cannot reach far enough to strike at the
integrity of the empire, may reach them in their
lonely cabins. The bludgeon, the knife, or the
pistol may meet them at fair or market, on the hill
side, or in the highway. As a body, however, we
fear not for their security and their ultimate triumph
in the emergency with which they are threatened.
They will look about them and "keep their powder
dry."

VISIT TO ENGLAND OF THE DUKE OF PAL-
MELLA.—In our last publication we expressed our
opinion, founded upon what we belied to be au-
thentic information, that the visit of the Duke of
Palmella to this country would be found to be for
the purpose of concluding, upon the terms offered
by this country, the long negotiated Commercial
Treaty between Portugal and Great Britain. Since
writing the article in question, although we have
had to notice the doubts of one or two of our con-
temporaries, we have heard nothing to shake our
faith in the views which we originally advanced ;
and we have now to offer to our readers the follow-
ing confirmating opinion, which we find in a lead-
ing article of the London Times of yesterday.
The Portuguese Government appears to have made
up its mind with unusual promptitude as to the probable
consequences of the revolution in Spain. Politically speak-
ing, the.disturbances which convulse the larger monarchy
cannot be indifferent to the minor state ; and the exam-
ple of Barcelona and all the "pronouncing" towns on the
Mediterranean is not without a bad effect on Oporto and
the distressed wine-growing districts on the Atlantic.
The Government at Lisbon is probably, therefore, the
less disposed to adhere to a line of commercial policy
which is as dangerous to the tranquillity of the country as
it is fatal to !her interests. The arrival of the Duke of
Palmella in London is an occurreuce which cannot be mis-
understood ; and, as we were led to believe that the fail-
ure of the former negotiation was mainly attributable to
the influence of certain private and local interests, we may
now hope that the renewal of the question in London, and
by the intervention of so distinguished a representative of
the Portuguse Court, affords the strongest grounds of
hope, and will ere long justify the confident predictions of
our Lisbon correspondent.
" The immediate effect of such an arrangement with
Portugal would be, to establish along her whole internal
frontier a system of smuggling into Spain as, complete as
that which prevails on the side of the Pyrennees, and
Spain would be compelled in self-detente to accede ulti-
mately to the same terms. In the meanwhile, the very
same trade which, from its illicit character, must be inju-
riods to the revenue and the manufactures of Spain, would
be eminently productive to the revenue of Portugal.
Lisbon and Oporto would share with Cadiz and Barcelona
VALUE OF GUANO AS A MANURE.—fhe Man. the trade of the whole Peninsula; and, provided thee
scale
chester and Salford Advertiser of Saturday says— of Portuguese duties is sufficiently low to defeat the Spa-
" We are informed by a correspondent, that a meadow
nish smuggler on the coast, an important change will be
belonging to Messrs. Walmesley and Crompton, fire- effected" in the mode of introducing those commodities into
brick makers, Boar Edge, near Bury, was, on Thursday
last, mown for the second time this season. The crop is
In the anticipations expressed in the concluding
unusually heavy, rich in quality, and ample in quantity. paragraph, with respect to the importance of an in-
ScarcelyP creased trade with Portugal as an inlet for smug_
mg into
six weeks have elapsed since the former crop
l
was taken from the land, which, it may be of use to our
the Spanish dominions, we fully agree.
numerous agricultural readers to
.state, has been dressed
with guano."
g
For a considerable period it is well known that our
We may add that, in the neighbourhood of this exports
for Spanish consumption;
to Lisbon have been, to a great extent, t ken
town, on the land of Mr. W. Skirving, a similar off by the free traders
result may be named of the efficacy of this manure.
and inn thepresent distracted state of the latter
with reduced duties on importation into
A field of grass belonging to this enterprising culti-
count
vator has already been twice cut, and a third crop is or ua ,we see nothing to prevent an immensely
fast becoming ready for the scythe. increased trade of this description. Such a trade,
however, is not the benefit which we contemplated
as likely to result from an arrangement, such as
that to which pointed, or a benefit for the realization
of which a country ought to model its measures of
customs' relaxation. We expect from this arrange-
ment with Portugal, a protective arrangement for
a legitimate commerce with Spain, and ultimately
with France ; and in this anticipation we do not
expect to be deceived.

HEALTH OF TOWNS CONINrIssION.--We per-
ceive that a circular has: been addressed by the com-
missioners to the authorities of Manchester, calling
their attention to the increasing mortality of the
town, and announcing that th y have requested Dr.
Lyon Playfair, one of the commissioners, to under-
take an enquiry into the causes of its unhealthiness.
Possibly, when so near us, the board may direct
their commissioner to pay Liverpool a visit.
Since writing the above, we perceive that a similar
announcement has reached this town, and that Dr.
Playfair may be expected here on the 15th instant.

NEWS FOR TIIE SPANISH.-Our contemporary,
the Liverpool Times, remarks, on Tuesday last, of
the hostile parties who are contesting for supremacy
in Spain :

" We see from an article in the Journal des Dads,
that the members of the two factions, which brought
about this revolution, have already begun to quarrel at
Barcelona, and to threaten each other with death; and
it won't be long before these threats are fulfilled."

We trust our contemporary is right, and that the
two factions (like the celpprated Kilkenny cats)
will very shortly carry their :threats into execution
and kill each other. Such an event will be a blessed
riddance for the Spanish people, if indeed there are
likely to be any people left after the factions have eat
each other up.

THREAT OF THE REPEALERS TO DRINK UP THE
BOYNE WATER !—The apostle of temperance is
no doubt working miracles in this country ; but we
fear that we must resign ourselves to his speedy
departure for his own land, unless we wish to hear,
some fine morning, of the Liffey and the Shannon,
or a portion of the Irish Channel itself, being drunk
dry by his disciples, the Repealers of Ireland.
" When the cat's away, the mice will play;" and,
in the absence of the worthy father, his Irish proto-
gees display a propensity for drinking which is
quite shocking to contemplate ! The Rev. Mr.
M'Cormack, p.p. inspector of repeal wardens in the
county of Westmeath, in a letter to the Repeal Asso-
ciation, offers the following evidence of this awful
growth of Irish drinking capabilities and prat.
tices

IMPORTANT PROBLEM.—At the meeting of the council
on Wednesday, Mr. Alderman Earle proposed the fol-
lowing
.important.9uery :.—:` Can. any policeman stop a

woman's tongue ?". and intimated his own opinion that
" he would find that a work of some difficulty." We would
suggest that the attention of men of science be directed
to the solution of a question so momentous ; and that
they may derive some valuable hints from the difficulty
experienced by the mayor in stopping the tongue of the
worthy alderman himself.

" 1 read somewhere of an army that drank the river
Xantbus dry, but future historians, peradventure, will
record the more astonishing fact, that a multitude assem-
bled at Tara in 1843, so great, that they drank up all the
Boyne water, without leaving as much behind as would
cool a Saxon rat." (I)
- - ---

LIVERPOOL REPEAL BOBADILS.-At a recent meeting
of the Repeal Association, held at the Corn Exchange,
Dublin, a letter was read from Mr. G. Smyth, of Li.
verpool, remitting £l6 from the repeaters of that town,
and stating that they were not at all alarmed at the
rumours afloat respecting an attempt to prevent the in.
tended Tara-hill meeting, and assuring the association
that the more brass cannon sent to Ireland by the govern-
ment, the more gold would be sent by the Liverpool re.
pealers. (!) Where will they get it?

-- -
A meeting assembled to drink the Boyne dry will
be an awful object for contemplation ! And horrible
to reflect upon is the possibility that men with such