The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-01-15 00:00:00

IRELAND.

—*—
SHIP-BUILDING AT CORR.—Mr. Pike, who has built
some fine iron ships, is engaged in building an immense
iron vessel for the New York trade. She will be screw-
propelled, and 1,400 tons burden.
The Freeman's Journal states, that. the estates now
under the jurisdiction of the Encumbered Estates Com-
mission are worth " fully one-twelfth" of the entire rental
of Ireland ; and this within less than three months since
the first petition was filed.
On Tuesday evening there was a meeting of the Dublin
Protestant Association, held at the Rotunda, " for the
purpose of adopting resolutions expressive of the Pro-
testant feelinc, of Dublin on the vastly important question
of protection to trade and agriculture."

TRISH PROTECTION MOVEMENT.—The address to the
Queen, prepared by the committee of which Lord Glengall
is chairman, now bears the signatures of 54 peers, 22
members of parliament, 23 baronets, 111 deputy lieuten-
ants, together with a vast array of the signatures of ma-
gistrates, clergymen. barristers, .doctors, attorneys, mer-
chants, and tenant-farmers_ The large number of unions
which have adopted this address is one of the most remark-
able facts in connection with it.

SINGULAR SCENE.-A strange scene occurred at Scariff
workhouse, on Wednesday, after the sale ended. When
some of the articles purchased were placed on cars for re-
moval, the paupers rushed out to prevent them being
taken away, armed with all kinds of weapons, yelling and
shouting in the most frightful manner. One young gen-
tleman, brother-in-law of one of the plaintiffs, was struck
with a stick on the head by one of the pauperq, and had
it not been for the timely arrival of head constable Taylor,
and a few men, there is no telling what the consequences
might have been.—Clare Journal.
The Protectionist meeting at Tyrone. last week was
remarkable for the adhesion of Lord Claude Hamilton,
brother of the Marquis of Abercorn, and by the manly re-
cantation of the free-trade heresy by the Earl of Caledon,
who formerly represented Tyrone in Parlirment. "Not
sufficiently aware of the mischievous tendency of free
trade," says the Earl of Caledon in his letter to Mr.
Lowry, " I voted against protection. But I now cordially
confess that I believe the system must end in the ruin of
the agricultural interest, particularly in Ireland. I speak
not solely as w landlord, but as a manufacturer, having in
my own hands extensive mills."
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.—A tragical event occurred
at Earlsgift, Londonderry, the residence of the Hon. and
Rev. Charles Douglas, on Wednesday. A little boy,
named Charles Doherty, a stable servant, son of Mr.
Douglas's coachman, was desired by his father to watch
occasionally a pan of coals that had been placed hot in a
carriage for the purpose of airing it. It appears that the
poor little boy, not aware of the danger he incurred, either
out of fun, or supposing that the carriage would be better
aired by his doing so, pulled up all the blinds so as to ex-
clude fresh air, and remained himself in the carriage. The
boy not returning from the carriage, his father being sur-
prised at his relr aining so long a time away, went to see
after him, and found him quite dead. A medical man
was instantly sent for, and everything done to restore
animation, but all without avail ; he was quite dead.

COURT AND FASHION
____._

Her Majesty held a Coutt on Tuesday, at which the
Rev. Dr. Hinds had an audience of the Queen in the
Royal Closet, and did homage on being appointed Bishop
of Norwich. The Bishop of Chester (Clerk to the Closet),
and Sir George Grey, assisted in the ceremony. The
Right Rev. Dr. Oliphant had an audience of her Majesty,
and did homage ou being appointed Bishop of Llandaff.
The Bishop of Chester and Sir George Grey assisted at
the ceremony.

It is stated that her Majesty's accouchement is expected
to take place in the month of April.
The Bishop of Manchester has been appointed director
of the studies of the Prince of Wales.

The mourning for the late Queen Dowager will be dis-
continued on the 23th instant.

The Emperor and the whole Court of Russia went into
mourning for the Queen Dowager of England.

The Bishop of Manchester preached the sermon before
the Court at the Private Chapel, Windsor, on Sunday
week.

DISGRACEFUL RIOT BY FREE-TRADERS

A meeting of the Protectionist party, was held at
Stafford on Thursday. At twelve o'clock the doors of the
Shire-hall were thrown open, and an immense concourse
of persons rushed in, and soon filled every available space.
In the gallery from which the speakers were to address
the meeting, were Lord Talbot, Lord St. Vincent, Lord
Newport, M.P., Lord Lewisham, M.P., Mr. Adderley,
M.P., Mr. Sidney, Major Chetwynd, Henry Vincent, &e.
Lord St. Vincent came forward, and was about to
address the meeting, when the Free-traders set up a most
discordant noise, consisting of hisses, groans, and yells,
&c., which lasted several minutes. After in vain endea-
vouring to obtain a hearing, his lordship proceeded,
amidst the clamour which prevailed, to say that he would
not be put down ; that he had a claim to be heard, and
heard he would be. [At this stage of the proceedings
several disturbances took place in the body of the hall,
and amidst the cries of ' police' and ' murder,' a general
fight took place ; both parties appeared to be pretty well
armed for the fray, a set-to, a la Donnybrook, commenced,
but, after about 15 minutes' fightinz, the police were let
into the hall from a side door, and they at once set upon
all those tvho appeared to show the slightest symptoms of
disagreement with the conveners of the meeting. Silence
having been in a measure restored,] Lord St. Vincent
again proceeded, and amidst a renewal of confusion, he
sat down by proposing that Lord Talbot take the chair.
Lord Newport, M.P., seconded the motion amidst loud
hissing and groaning.

Lord Talbot came forward. He had no sooner taken
his place at the front of the rails, in the gallery, than some
miscreant in the body of the hall threw a large stone at
his lordship's head, which, however, missed his lordship
and fell on the forehead of Mr. Fowler, a reporter, who
was standing by his lordship's side, inflicting a large con-
tused wound. Lord Newport had the gentleman con-
veyed to the judge's room, where his head was dressed.
For nearly half an hour the chairman was endeavouring
to address the meeting. During the whole of the period
the rioting was at its height in the body of the ball, the
policemen who were present being totally insufficient

effectually to quell the disturbance. - A large number of
the rioters were, however, ejected by the farmers, and the
chairman ordered the doors to be closed. This was no
sooner done than the mob outside commenced pulling up
the stones of the court yard in front of the shire hall,
which they hurled through the windows with such vio-
lence as to break whole frames out at one stroke. The
mob inside, in the meantime, tore up several benches and
forms, with which they armed themselves. After some
sharp fighting, in which scores of heads were broken,
Lord Talbot again addressed the meeting, but it would
be totally impossible to give anything like an outline of
his lordship's speech, the riot and confusion entirely pre-

venting the reporters from hearing. When his lordship
resumed his seat a large paving stone was hurled through
the window at him, but, as in the previous case, his lord-

ship escaped unhurt.
Mr. T. Turner moved,—" That the present distressed
and painful condition of the agricultural interest, bearing
particularly on the tenant-farmers, the agricultural la-
bourers, and others employed in the cultivation of the
soil, as well as all trades dependent upon agriculture for
support, the grievous injury inflicted upon Ireland, our
colonial empire, the shipping and all other industrial in-
terests, is mainly attributable to the mistaken policy of
free trade."

Mr. Turner was commencing to address the meeting,
when the mob from without opened another battery
against the windows, and the stones came flying into the
hall in every direction.

Lord Talbot sent a messenger to the Mayor to say that
he, as chairman of the meeting, requested that his wor-
ship would prevent any disturbance taking place in the
town.
Mr. Hartshorn seconded the resolution.

Mr. Adderley, M.P., moved a resolution to the effect
that an address be presented to her Majesty, praying her
to dissolve Parliament.

The appearance of the place at this period became most
alarming ; battles were taking place in all parts of the
body of the hall, and the stones were pouring in through
the windows as fast as a heavy shower of rain, much to
the terror of those in the galleries.
Mr. Adderley, addressing the mob who had again
forced open the front doors, which they were now trying
to wrench from off their hinges, said :—Tt is a disgrace to
the meeting that a body of Englishmen should behave in
the way you have dore. It is a disgrace to the person
who has set this mob on to-day to behave in the manner
they have. (Cheers.) You wish for an extension of the
suffrage, and you have been told by your opponents that
you are fit to receive it. Your conduct here to-day has
convinced me that you are not fit to be intrusted with the
suffrage. You have brought a lasting disgrace upon your-
selves by your dastardly conduct.
At this stage of the proceedings the superintendent of
the police informed his lordship that it was quite impos-
sible for him longer to hold out against the mob, as his
men were knocked down in all directions.
The messenger whom Lcrd Talbot had sent to the
Mayor returned, and stated that his worship refused to
act at all in the matter, as he considered it to be the duty
of the county magistrates.

The mob, finding that they were now quite unchecked
in their violence, commenced battering in the doors and
windows in the most determined maAner, stones weighing
from 401 b, to 501 b. being thrown in amongst the meeting.
Lord Talbot, with some difficulty, stood forward, and
said, the Mayor of Stafford having refused to assist in
putting down the riot which is now existing outside, I
cannot, as a county magistrate, allow the property of the
county to be demolished in this way, and, therefore, I
declare the meeting dissolved.
Upon leaving -the Shire-hall, Lord Talbot and his
friends proceeded to the Swan Tavern, where he was fol-
lowed by a mob of nearly 1000 persons. Whilst his lord-
ship was in the act of crossing the road, some miscreant
struck his lordship in the breast with a brick. This was
the signal for further destruction, for the mob immediately
commenced smashing the windows of the hotel where his
lordship and his friends were staying. His lordship, re-
ceiving the blow on his breast, coolly told the mob that they
were acting very unlike Englishmen. From the hotel the
mob made their way to the railway station., where they
received the farmers as they came down to go by the se-
veral trains with showers of bricks and stones. Upwards
of 100 persons are more or less wounded, some with
broken heads, some with black eyes, &c. One gentleman
who was going down to the station in his gig was -so
severely pelted that the horse took fright and .the.:driver
was thrown out.

RAILWAY AFFAIRS.

The directors of the London and Brighton Company
have agreed upon a dividend of 48s. per cent. for the half-
year, carrying over a surplus of £15,000.

A correspondent of the Times apprizes the public, that
passengers by railway cannot be legally charged for over-
weight of luggage on arriving at the end of their journey.
The charge must be made at starting.
The Directors of the Fleetwood, Preston, and West
Riding Railway Company, have given notice of their in-
tention to declare forfeited 3,972 shares in the Company,
upon which the calls have not been paid.
in the course of the past week a testimonial, consisting
of a service of plate, of the value of 260 guineas, was pre-
sented to Mr. All port, the late traffic manager of the York,
Newcastle, and Berwick Company, on the occasion of bis
resignation.

The Railway Journal says that proceedings have been
commenced against the ex-directors of the York and
North Midland line, to recover back the premiums on the
100 shares, certain f them took the liberty of appropriat-
ing to themselves.
The Midland directors heve issued a statement of their
capital and liabilities, by which they appear to have spent
up to the 30th of June last £15,157,458, and they require
£770,240 to complete all their works. This sum, they
say, will leave £1,864.460 available, but unrequired capi-
tal. They state the annual amount of guarantees which
they have to pay, independent of interest upon loans, to
be £223,705. A call of £5 per share on the £5O shares
is to be made payable sth April next.
THE BIRKENHEAD RAILWAY CONTRACTORS.—The
price of a contract ticket for travelling, during one year,
in a first-class carriage between Chester and Birkenhead,
so often as the holder pleased, was £l5 in 1847 and 1848,
and part of 1849. During the latter period the price was
advanced to £lB 15s. ; this increase of rates, and the ru..
niour of a further advance to £2O, induced the contract-
ors to present an address to the directors, in which they
suggest the propriety of returning to the former charge
for contractors for the whole distance. The directors have
declined acceding to this request.
LIABILITIES OF RAILWAYS.—At the last Garstang
County Court, Mr. Bateson, paper manufacturer, reco-
vered the sum of £l6, for injury to his horse, from the
Lancaster Canal Company, the lessees of the Lancaster
and Preston Railway, at the time of the accident. It ap-
pears that the plaintiff was crossing the line near the
Brock Station, when his horse's feet caught the iron rails.
It was thrown down, and sustained such injuries as to
disable it from work. The judge decided in favour of the
liability of the company, and gave an order for the amount.
—Lancaster Guardian.

CHESHIRE JUNCTION RAILWAY.-OUr readers will
probably recollect that Joseph Bailey, Esq., M,P., one of
the shareholders of this company, apPlied to the Court of
Chancery to restrain the directors from enforcing pay-
ment of the last call of £lO per share made in February
lost. The company filed a demurrer to the bill, which
was argued for two days in November last before Lord
Langsdale, the Master of the Rolls. His lordship took
time to consider his judgment, and on Saturday he de-
livered it in favour of the company, by allowing the
demurrer; thus establishing the validity of the call.

The comparative statements of the traffic upon thelead-
ing lines are this week very satisfactory. At the head of
the list we find the South-Eastern, with an advance of
£4,000 and upwards ; next the London and North-Wes-
tern, £3,000; then the Eastern Counties, and the Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, each with an increase
rising above £2,000; the Caleonian and North British,
reachine nearly £l,OOO increase respectively; and the
York, Newcastle, and Berwick, attaining somewhat more
than that amount. Upon the South-Western there is a
small diminution, and a trifling increase upon the Brigh-
ton.

THE BRITANNIA BRIDGE.—We learn from the Menia
that there is at length a complete roadway over the Straits,
the second great tube having been safely raised to its
100 ft. elevation, and forming, by its junction with the
other tubes, a continuous rigid wrought-iron highway
18,401 ft. long, and between five and six thousand tons in
weight. The workmen are now engaged day and night in
completing the junctions and adjustments. The greater
portion of the permanent way and rails for the trains is
laid. The grand approaches to the bridge at either end,
where the colossal lions rest, are finished, including the
continuation of the line of rail to the stations on each
side at Bangor and Llanfair, and every exertion is being
made to have the line complete by the end of February,
for the first trial trains to go through.
MR. HUDSON REFUNDING.—At the meeting of the
York and Berwick Railway Company, on Wednesday,
the chairman detailed the proposed arrangements, from
which it appeared that Mr. Hudson had undertaken to
pay £lOO,OOO, he (Mr. Hudson) having, during the past
year, paid to the company no less than £90,036. He
moved that the meeting authorise the directors to carry
out and ratify the proposed indenture, which was drawn
as between Mr. Hudson and three of the present direc-
tors. Mr. Wylie strongly denounced the proposed
arrangement, but it was carried by an immense majority.
The company agree to pay to the Great North of England
Company three-tenths of the sum of £3,547,500 in deben-
tures, falling due on the Ist of July, 1853 ; four-tenths in
debentures falling due on the Ist of January, 1855 ; and
the remaining three-tenths also in debentures falling due
on the Ist of July, 1856—the whole bearing interest at
the rate of four per cent. per annum.

LIABILITY OF RAILWAY COMPANIES TO MEDICAL
MEN.—A case important to medical men came on on
Wednesday, at the Manchester County Court. The
question involved in the case was, whether railway com-
panies are liable to remunerate medical men called in by
their servants, for assistance rendered to passengers in-
jured by an accident. The plaintiff was Dr. Taylor, sur-
geon, of Newton Heath ; and the defendants were the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. It appeared
that in October last a Miss Haworth came down the
Ashton line of the Lancas'aire and Yorkshire Railway
Company, from Droylsden to the Park, station, by one of
the London and North-Western Company's trains ; and
having alighted, she attempted to cross the line, but was
knocked down by a train of the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Company, which came up the other line; she was much
hurt, and an officer of the last named company sent for
the plaintiff, who came and attended the lady. She was
sent back to Droylsden, where he afterwards attended her
by order of Mr. Woolven, the station master at Ashton.
Some days after he was told by the company's superin-
tendent not to attend any more, but to send in his account.
This was done ; but the railway company declined to pay.
Mr. Lewis, solicitor for the company, contended that they
were not liable to the claim, and quoted some cases in sup-
port of his opinion. He called Mr. Hall, general superin-
tendent, who said neither he nor any of the company's
station masters had authority to call in medical men in
case of accidents. Some other evidence was adduced, and
the Judge (Mr. Brandt) said that he should take time to
consider the case, and deliver his decision at the next
sitting of the court in a fortnight.

POLITICAL MISCELLANY.

-.-

The West Kent, the West Norfolk, and several other
Protectionist societies have held meetings, and passed
resolutions in favour of the restoration f protection.
Throughout Ireland, too, large county and district meet-
ings have been held in favour of the same principle.
Mr. Charles Villiers will move the address in reply to
her Majesty's speech at the commencement of the ensu-
ing session. That Mr. Villiers, who annually proposed
the repeal of the corn laws before the league was ever
established, should make the motion is indicative of a
determination on the part of ministers to adhere to their
free-trade policy.
SWAMPING THE COUNTIES.—At a public meeting,
thinly attended, at the Stock Exchange Room, Leeds, on
Monday evening—Mr. E. Baines in the chair—after a
long speech by Mr. Taylor, of Birmingham, in explana-
tion of the scheme originated in that town for forming a
freehold land society for the placing of radicals on the
county list of voters, it was resolved to establish a society
for the West-Riding upon the Birmingham model.
At the great (?) National Reform Association meeting,
held at the London Tavern, on Monday week, Cobden
could not come—from the, or a cold, as he tells his " dear
Walmsley," in a bete. Neither could Henry Vincent go,
who was too busy agitating in Cambridgeshire and Hunt-
ingdonshire ; but he tells the radical Joshua, who is to
make the sun of England "go back," that when the
farmers find they cannot get protection. they will all turn
radical reformers—very agreeable news for their landlords.

Mr. W. B. Ferrand has addressed a letter to the papers
in favour of Protection, which he concludes with—S' one
word of warning to Mr. Cobden. He has announced his
intentior of visiting Buckingham and Aylesbury for the
purpose of inflaming the minds of the farmers against
their landlords. Let him beware lest he he challenged
publicly to discuss before the operatiVeS of Manchester,
' whether during the last thirty years, the manufacturing
operatives have received their fair share of the profits of
trade ?' "

FREE-TRADE ARGUMENTS, VERSUS BLUDGEONS,—On
Wednesday a meeting of the working classes was held at
Stepney, " for the purpose of adopting resolutions in fa-
vour of legislative protection for native industry."
Several working men spoke in favour of protection, and a
free trade amendment was proposed, but when Mr. Oastler
rose to propose it he was put down as he only can be put
down, viz., by clamour.—A riot was also kicked up at the
Salisbury Protectionist meeting • and the ringleader. a
respectable (!) free-trader, has been committed for trial,
the police having overheard him give orders to his poor,
deluded followers to " break the windows" of the room
where the meeting was being held.
THE WORKING CLASSES AGITATING FOR PROTEC-
TION.—A general movement is now being made by the
mechanics of the metropolis, in favour of a just and
equitable protection to all classes. During the past week
trades' meetings have been held at all the principal houses
of call in the metropolis. At these assemblies the
question of Free Trade has been very fully discussed, the
result being a resolution, "That the competition thus
created by an unproductive system of free-trade tends to
the exclusive advantage of the foreigner, bestowing no
equivalent on the British workmen." The different trades
have come to the resolution to hold aggregate meetings,
to petition Parliament for Protection.
FREE TRADE AND LOW WAGES IN SHREWSBURY.—
We have long said that the object of the Anti-Corn Law
League was to reduce the price of bread, as an excuse for
a reduction in the wages of the poor operative, and the
following statement of wages paid at Messrs. Marshall's
factory, in this town, will prove the correctness of our
view of the designs of the free traders :-
1848. 1849.
Mechanic 5............ £1 5 0 £0 18 0
Overlook ers .
Thread Poishers 0 12 0 0 8 0
Boys
Female Heelers tO 6 0 0 0 8

....... - _
So much for cheap bread, and ruining the farmers to put
money into the pockets of the •master manufacturers.
What, then, do the 'poor get by this boasted free trade?
The above statement, which we can,vouch for, is a " great
fact," that speaks volumes.---Shretesbury ti_.onsereative.