The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-04 00:00:00

IRELAND AND ITS REBEL PRESS.

The promoters of rebellion in the sister country con-
tinue to labour diligently in their task, and seem deter-
mined to drive the ignorant and turbulent population into
open revolt. Falsehoods the most gross are circulated
unblushingly. Any past misfortune which has befallen
any portion of the country is raked up, with a view to
increase the rancorous feeling existing towards England ;
and even those visitations of Providence, to which all
countries are liable and from which all have suffered, are
set down as the perpetrations of the Saxons and the direct
consequence of union with Great Britain. A specimen of
number of the Nation;—
from this wcel-'

of our of faminei ecl'arheemsw asked the
into the grave one million
Bishop of New
York, in his lecture on their death, and he answers—' no one
did it, yet they are killed.' Aye, truly, are they ; you might
pile a pyramid of their skulls to Clarendon, the Conqueror, in
any townland from Tramore westward to Sleave League. You
may gauge the vats of human decomposition with a pike-staff,
in every charnel ground of Munster, Connaught, or the north
west. One thousand times one thousand men and women, of
our blood and bone, have fallen under the existing authorities"
in Ireland between midsummer '46 and Christmas '47. They
were surrounded as by a beleaguering host, and reduced by
famine. Will the authorities' deny it? Why have they re-
fused to publish the census of the dead? Because THAT would
justify revolution."

- The assertion here is palpably that " the existing autho-
rities," promoted the spread of famine and death in
Ireland ; and that the extent of such mortality " justifies
revolution." An ignorant reader, such as the bulk of
those to whom it was addressed, or a foreigner, would
naturally arrive at the conclusion that we hedged round
the unfortunate people of Ireland in their famine and
fever, and prohibited every effort of theirs, or of their own
fellow countrymen to snatch them from death. Not a
word about the eight millions of money spent upon public
works in Ireland, and in the gratuitous distribution of
food amongst them. Not a word of the bountiful exercise
of English benevolence to aid them, whilst the Mitchels
and Meaghers, the Smith O'Briens and the O'Connells
buttoned up their pockets, or expended their energies as
cheaply in brawling diatribes against the hands by which
that aid was brought. Such lying statements are not only
retailed without shame in the columns of the Repeal
prints, and from the platforms of Repeal gatherings, but
we are still more concerned to find that they meet with a
large amount of belief.

It is clear, from the tone of these prints and the ha-
rangues of the demagogues with whom Ireland is infested,
that the mask which treason has so long worn in that
unhappy country is being torn aside. Repeal—a return
to the state of things existing before the Act of Union—
the regeneration of Ireland by means of a native parlia-
ment connected with the British legislature—is no longer
the object held up as sought. Complete separation is
now the object spoken of. A Republic, in alliance with
France, or any other country willing to draw a sword
against Great Britain, and the confiscation of British
property in Ireland and its partition amongst the pea-
santry of Ireland, are now openly contemplated and pre-
pared for. We hear of arming and drilling—of the
formation of clubs and a National Guard—of signal fires,
which are to blaze out from every hill, and to announce
that the work of blood has commenced. The ultimatum
which the rebel leaders seek has been pronounced ; and it
only remains a question of time when the word is to be
given and by whom. In the mean time, the people are
utterly misled as to the nature of the power which they
have to contend with and overcome. Their press tells
them that Ireland is unanimous in its efforts to shake the
British connexion ; that all they have to do is to " smash
through the Castle of Dublin," overpower the garrisons
and the constabulary in the provinces, and become at
once an independent people—or, as they interpret the
meaning of the words, to establish a mob dictation upon
the wreck of the institutions of the country. They have
never been told of the hundreds of thousands of loyal
men, who have declared their adhesion to the governing
powers, and are ready to meet force by force to put down
and to crush rebellion. Not a word of the recent
addresses of confidence presented to the Lord Lieutenant
is permitted to reach their ears.

Upon another point the peasantry generally are mis-
leading themselves, and a large portion also of the Eng-
lish people are entertaining unnecessary fears. It is their
impression that the military force in Ireland cannot be
depended upon ; that, in the case of an outbreak in Ire-
land, they will be disposed to fraternise with the people,
after the example set them by the troops of the line in
Paris. The parties to this mistake cannot have suffi-
ciently observed the difference in feeling and position
which exists between' the two bodies. The French soldier
makes it his proudest thought that he is of the people;
and on every occasion of collision with the governing
power, he sympathises with the popular feeling and fra-
ternises with the people. It was so in the revolution of
1792 ; it was so in the revolution of 1830 ; and we have
just witnessed another display of the same spirit. The
English soldier, on the contrary, regards himself as se-
parated by his duty from the masses out of which he has
been taken. The humblest private imbibes, from the day
of his enlistment, a kind of esprit de corps. He considers
himself as one of the hands of the executive power, and
looks down upon the mere " civilian" as upon a being a
grade below his position. In numierless cases of out-
break amongst our working masses, when the hard duty
has been imposed upon our military of acting against the
turbulent, whether English, Irish, or Scotch, they have
invariably been found to do their duty, mildly and with
forbearance, yet without the slightest show of a disposi-
tion to make common cause with the disaffected, or even
to waver in their obedience to commands which may have
been distasteful to their natural feelings of humanity to-
wards their misled fellow-countrymen. And so, we are
confident, it will lie found in the crisis which threatens.
A few exceptions there may perhaps be to the general rule.
A few unruly characters may be seduced from their duty,
and desert: But the bulk of the British army will be
found willing to do their duty, whether against rebels in
Ireland or a foreign enemy.
It is not to be denied, and we deplore the fact, that we
_have serious difficulties to encounter in the efi'ort to re-
store Ireland to a state o' peace and rest. We have first

an agitation to repress, which is harrassing the country
and retarding its progress towards a self-supporting posi-
tion. That agitation must be put down, for Ireland's
sake as well as our own. And when it is put down—
when we have " unthread the rude eye of rebellion "—we
shall have none more ready to thank us for the effort
than the deserving portion of the population of Ireland
herself. Despite the howlings of treason which at present
salute our ear from amongst the turbulent and worthless
iu that country, we are assured that a feeling of strong
distrust has already been excited, and is spreading among
the industrious classes, of the sincerity of the demagogues
who seek to impress upon them a reliance upon outrage
and disorder for the removal of the evils which afflict
them. These classes are longing to be released from the
dictation of their priesthood and incendiary advisers, from
Agrarian disturbance, and the insecurity of life and pro-
perty under which they are placed. For them the O'Con-
nell swindle has had its day. The more rabid confedera-
tion movement—the rebellious struggle of the men of
pikes and rifles—will, we repeat, have to be metwith
force, upon whatever field may be chosen for the trial.

REPORT OF THE WATER COMMITTEE,

IMPORTANT DEMONSTRATION OF THE SECU-
RITY AGAINST FIRE OF MILNER'S SAFES,
AT OXFORD.

At the meeting of the Liverpool Polytechnic Society,
on Monday evening last, W. BENNETT, Esq., ironfounder,
the president.in the chair; the SECRETA RY rose and said :
Sir, observing from the papers that some very interesting
1317111illItati bP 'tit ke.fm.mVr, min; -aheseemg Mr. W.
Milner present, perhaps you will request him to give us
thtparticulars.

The PRESIDENT having called upon Mr. MILNER, he re-
plied :—I would in the first place, Mr. President and gen-
tlemen, return our best thanks to you and the council for
your introduction to the Ashmolean Society at Oxford,
which at once secured for us the interest and attention of
that noble scientific body, and of the Universities, under
whose sanction and superintendence our public test was
arranged and conducted. They saw that the fires were
hot enough to prove that it was no sham fight was made
against the enemy, keeping the armour of our principle
(our safes) red hot for five hours, and I have great plea-
sure in reading their high testimony that we brought off
our colours from the ordeal without a singe upon them.
In bringing their manufactures under the notice of the
Universities, Thomas Milner and Son had letters of re-
commendation to the Lord Bishop of Oxford, to many
scientific gentlemen, and from the Liverpool Polytechnic.
Society to the Ashmolean Society, who have kindly inves-
tigated the claims of their invention, by witnessing a se-
vere public test of its merits, for which the patentees re-
turn their sincere thanks, and beg to lay the following.
testimonial, with which they have been honoured, before
the public :

" Oxford, March 16, 1848.
" Having this day attended the testing of Milner's Fire
Resisting Manufactures, conducted under the sanction
and superintendence of the authorities of the university
and city (by kind permission, in Mr. F. Symonds' Close),
Milner's Banker's Safe, filled with books, gunpowder, a
£5 note, a watch, &c., &c., being surrounded with fire
for five hours—Milner's No. 1 Safe similarly filled, and
kept in red heat for two hours and a half, and an iron
Safe, not of their make, for one hour and a half, (to shew
the contrast)) ; its contents being reduced to tinder, and
those of Milner's Safes unsinged. We have much
plea-
sure in expressing our decided approval of the principle
of these Safes—combined non-conduction and evapora-
tion—our great satisfaction with these experiments—the
fires being made to convey the most intense heat—and,
from the very perfect state of the contents of each of Mil-
ner's Safes, our unhesitating opinion of the perfect secu-
rity they afford to books, deeds, records, manuscripts,
&c., &c., against the ravages of fire in all ordinary cases,
and we o with great confidence recommend them to the
public for general use.

H. G. Strickland, 3LA.F.G.S., President of the Ash-
molean Society.
Robert Walker, M.A.F.R.S., Reader in Experimental
Philosophy, and Secretary of the Ash rn ol ean Society.
'Charles Daubeny, M.D., Professor of Chemistry.
Richard Greswell, 8.D.F.R.5., Tutor of Worcester
College.
H. Wellesley, D.D., Principal of New Inn Hall.
J. Hannay, Fellow of Worcester and Senior Proctor.
H. Binney, Fellow and Tutor of Worcester.
R. Barnes, M.A., Ch. Ch.
H. S. Slight, Bursar of Corpus Christi College.
R. Muckleston, Fellow and Tutor of Worcester.
William Andrew, Tutor of Worcester.
Charles Rew, Fellow of St. John's.
W. W. Stoddart, Fellow and Tutor of St. John's.
W. Jacobs, M.A., New College.
Fred. J. Morrell, Solicitor.
B. Badcock, Land Agent.
C. R. Hickman, Sheriff.
W. Biddle, Solicitor.
T. Taylor, J.P.
James Pike, Merchant.
F. Symonds, Surgeon.
John Taunton, Solicitor.
J. Bradstreet, (London and County Bank).
William Kirtland, Ashmolean Museum.
G. A. Rowell, Alfred-street.
R. P. Hookham, (Hookham and Minty).
T. L. Robins, Commander R.N.
T. G. Cousins, Beaumont-street, &c. &c.
This certificate is most numerously signed."
The PRESIDENT here remarked :—Milner's Safes may
be said to have been one of the most useful and important
developments of this society ; and for our knowledge of
them we are greatly indebted to Mr. S. Woods, and those
gentlemen who acted with him. You will remember the
first experiments upon them, when the general investiga-
tion of the means of preserving documents from fire took
place, I attended throughout those trials—strongly preju-
diced, I confess, against this invaluable invention—not be-
lieving, because not knowing, the merits of Milner's
Safes. I went to the ground determined to burn them
out, nor did I look for any difficulty • but after I had seen
the contents of the other fireproof safes consumed to
tinder, in the same fires of which Milner's had borne the
far greater heat ; and Mr. Milner, at my request, still
putting his safes into the hottest holes I could make or
find in the fires, and to my astonishment bringing them
out red hot, with the papers unburnt, and so cool within
them, that I could hold them in my hands.—l became,
and still am as strongly their advocate as I was before their
opponent.

.Mr.gMITH and others bore similar testimony.
Mr. MILNEr again said :—Mr. President, I thank yim
deeply, more than words can express, for your kind and
candid avowal, invaluable as coming from you ; and I re-
joice in this opportunity of making my heartfelt acknow-
ledgments to this society for their patient investigation of
the subject, and for the kind support we have received
since you proved us deserving of it. Every large fire jus-
tifies your approval of our principle, and we shall labour
inceseautly to maintain a daily improving and better title

to the hogour we aspire to, the sanction of the Liver-
pool Polytechnic Society, the Ashmolean Society, and
that enlightened scientific, and practical body of our coun-
trymen, who constitute similar societies. The proceed-
ings were warmly and loudly cheered throughout.

GENERAL TR.

DE REPORT,

Night.
The eccentric and mischievous vagaries of King People
with his plaything, monarchy, have become matters o
every day occurrence. Exchanges are i
and bank-clerks are taking leave of absens,
Isoldiering. Those old-fashioned principles whi,
hitherto been deemed essential to national and indiva.
happiness and prosperity, are passing like shadows int(
the dim obscurity of the past. Functional diseases are to
be remedied by organic changes. Democracy stands
forth in the face of the world a power acknowledged and
obeyed : the denounced charlatan of yesterday is the
favoured physician of to-day; and the pill " equality" is
prescribed as the universal panacea, gilt over by the spe-
cialities of the time-serving sophists who have frothed
themselves to the surface and may float for a season, until
the bubble bursts. WIAle " fraternity" is spouted' forth
hat nothing can be good which is not new. So long as
1 in theory, but forgotten in practice; and the world is told
We have received a copy of this important document t
which will be laid before the members of the council at international policy remained intact, we entertained hopes
that thp peace of Europe would not be disturbed beyond
the monthly meeting to-morrow. We gather the follow-
ingt facts from it :—Of the sum payable to the Harrington the civil squabbles which had occurred, and were ing; but the step taken by the Rine of Sardinia in the
impend-
Company, £147,031 has been paid in bonds, and the re-
south, and the position of Denmark 'and Poland in the
mainder in cash. To the Bootle Company, £127,680 has
been paid in bonds, and the rest in cash. The nett rental
north, give a warlike aspect to affairs which, however un-
of the two companies for the past year was £33,685, re-
willingly, we are compelled to acknowledge- o
presenting a capital of upwards of £660,000. The reve- present movement is of a character so o
nues of the companies have been gradually and annually control is so far lost for the present—that
increasing, and will, doubtless, continue to do so, whilst matter of doubt whether the people of Austr
the expenditure will be materially diminished now that rather than impede the strum of hale
et n
the
the works are conducted under one management. From pendence ; and it is more the
ul
txs ei
n
Mr. Hawksley's report it is now an ascertained fact, that of the same influence may proauce similar
results
north. But these are only speculations ; the great fact
the quantity of water distributable from the works of the
two companies conjointly does not eiceed three millions
of present anarchy is before our eyes, and while it conti-
o gallons daily, and if the quantity be assumed at nues so we should not be surprised if public securities
f
2,800,000 gallons, this would only afford a supply not remain at their present low figure, or if trade be limited
exceeding seven gallons per individual per diem, inclusive to the imperative necessities cf the passing day. As
of what is supplied for trade and shipping. Twenty gal- might have been expected, Consols have again receded,
lons per head per diem are, however, absolutely necessary, and on Friday were done at sok, but ralliedto 814 to 1; on
and the quantity required for the present population and Saturday, after fluctuating between 81 and 811, they closed
4.
for the purposes of trade is therefore eight million gallons at 811 to 4. To-day the closing prices were 804 to
The
Influx of bullion to the coffers of the Bank of England
per diem, which shows a daily deficiency as regards the
wells of the two companies of five million two hundred still continues, the return for the week ending the 25th
thousand gallons. Towards meeting this deficiency the March shewing a further increase of £193,653, the total
works at Green-lane will yield a daily supply of 1,200,000 in both departments being £15,316,794. The notes in
gallons, but of this 400,000 gallons will daily be wanted circulation amounted to £17,603.075, shewing an increase
for watering streets and flushing sewers, and the oblige- of £155,985, when compared_ with the preceding return.
tion still remains upon the Council to keep the mains There has been no great improvement in the SHARE
connected with these works constantly charged, so as to Manatee- during the past week; some slight fluctuations
be instantly available in case of fire. There will still, in the smaller shares and speculative stocks have afforded
however, remain a daily deficiency of more than four the jobbers an opportunity of making a profit now and
million gallons, and the committee therefore consider it then, to whom the business has been almost altogether
necessary to put in force, with the least possible delay, confined. We do not think that capitalists should let the
at
w tra ex-
the powers with which parliament has invested the Coun- present opportunity of investing pass ; for, come
ffics are wh
cif for the purpose of obtaining such supply. The Coun-
will, shares cannot be much loer. The
cif cannot give a constant supply from the present sources, ceedingly good, and' depressed as the times are, chew
generally an increase over last year. At the Edinburgh
neither can the adjacent districts receive any benefit un-
less a large addition is made to the present limited supply.
resond lveGlasgowd to ameeting, on the 28th, it was unanimously
y no dividend this half year, but to retain
The committee therefore recommend " that immediate p
steps be taken for connecting the mains of the water coin-
the whole of it (64 per cent.) as a reserved fund.
panies with those of the Green-lane works," and " that This,
strange to say, caused a considerable rise in
the
+
the committee be authorised to take the necessary steps stock. London Stock rose from 124 to 128,
-Shares
1.
for the construction of the reservoirs and works referred Ito 24; Midland Stock from 97 to 101, 4-Shares from
to in the Water Works Act. The power for the com-
54 to 6 dis. We give a list of this day's prices elsewhere.
"
pulsory purchase of land under the act will expire in July, The average per month of railway calls from January to
1850, and for the completion of the works in July, 1852. April, 1847, was £3,843,477, or at the rate of £46,121,724
The committee ask for powers to retain the services of per annum ; during the same period of 1848, it has been
Mr. Hawkesley for the purpose of carrying into execution £3,194,847, or at the rate of £38,338,164 per annum.
the new works, and completing the combination and adap- At the meeting of the shareholders in the London,
tation of the existing ones. Mr. Ashlin (the efficient Brighton, and South Coast Railway, on Thursday, an
adjournment until the 17th instant was agreed to, with
treasurer under the Sanatory Act) is also the treasurer
under the Water Works Act'. He recommends the ap-
,the view of affording time to the committee for comples
pointment of five clerks for the in-door department, and ting their favours and preparing their report.
the committee recommend the gentlemen employed at We cannot better describe the languid state of the
the works, when purchased by the corporation, at the COLONIAL MARKETS here than by quoting an apt ob-
servation made on 'Change to-day, that "the grocers
salaries they received. Mr. Ashlin states that there are
at present employed under him in collecting the lighting, seemed afraid of being caught with a pound's worth of
fire police rates, &c., twelve collectors, and he recom- stuff in their possession." The London markets' have
mends that six be appointed in addition to these, for col- been all more or less influenced by the disturbed state
letting the water rents. The total salaries of the six persons of the Continent, and nearly every sale effected has been
thus employed will be £lO5O (exclusive of bonus.) There at lower quotations. The inquiries for saltpetre, how-
have been hitherto employed by the two companies four- ever, have continued, and the article has again advanced
teen collectors for collecting the water rents and charges about ls. 6d. per cwt.
A general and very good demand for Corrost to-day,
alone, who were paid by a per centage on the amount
collected, which per centage amounted last year to £2869, and entirely from consumers, who have purchased freely
so that by adopting the system nowrecommended,a saving at Saturday's prices. There has been some little uneven-
of £1305 per annum will be effected in this branch of the ness in prices to-day, yet on the whole it is a steady, firm,
establishment.
and satisfactory market. Holders do not press their
Mr. Hawkesley recommends, in addition to the general stock, but are willing sellers at fair market prices. The
workmen, foremen, &c., the appointments of a principal newly landed cotton is freely brought out, and the sales
to-day reach 5000 bales. On Saturday, the rsarket was
engineer (versed in hydraulic science); a superintendent
of stations and machinery: a superintendent of distri-
steady, but the trade were buying only in small quantities
bution ; a pipe-master ; a superintendent of shipping just to supply their immediate wants ; nevertheless,
sales amounted to 3500 bales, all to the trade.
supplies: a bookkeeper, and an inspector or assessor.
market during the past week has shown a slight improve-
The report of the committee is signed by Mr. Ambrose
ment, and in most descriptions a rise may be quoted of
Lace, the able chairman of the Health Committee, who,
-1-d. per lb. The computed stock of cotton in Liverpool.
in conjunction with the other members of the committee,
has contributed greatly, by unwearied exertions, in im-
on the close of March, was 286,800 bales, against 489,800
proving the sanatory condition of the town.
bales in 1847 ; the imports had amounted to 242,210 bales,
against 289,238 bales in 1847; and the exports to 11,805
bales, against 20,940 bales in 1847. There have been—

Monda

Lrly obsolete,

to play at
. . _

Taken on speculation this year
Ditto, in 7847

btill the
.—kingly

become,
will not;

for national incle:
n probable that

Stock in Liverpool 31st December, 1847
Ditto, in 1846

Forwarded unsold this year
Ditto, last year

13,850
116,200
363,530
438,970

Decrease of import this year as compared wit
DFcrease in stock. as compared with last yeas
Ditto, in 1847, same person
Increase of quantity taken for consumption
The CORN TRADE still continues exceedingly
everywhere ; and all accounts speak of a decline in prices.
In fact, the country is in such an anomalous state, that,
notwithstanding the consumption is going on, the public
have lost all confidence, and both buyers and sellers
seem resolved to transact as little business as possible.
In this town prices are steadily on the decline, and
up to the time of writing no improvement had taken place
in any branch of the trade. The chief arrivals since
Friday have been 494 qrs of Wheat, 1,370 qrs. Oats, 798
Ids. Oatmeal, and 3,010 sacks Flour, from Ireland ; 507
qrs Barley, and 1,752 qrs. Malt, Coastwise; 540 qrs,
Barley, 960 qrs. Beans, and 690 qrs. Pease from Europe ;
9,177 qrs. Indian Corn, and 2,630 qrs. Corn Meal from
the United States : and the chief exports have been
3,983 qrs. Indian Corn, and 1,208 qrs. Corn Meal, to
Ireland. The corn fields in our own neighbourhood are
in excellent condition, and with a little fine weather
vegetation may be expected to burst forth luxuriantli
From the east coast of England gratifying reports b-
reached us, and the growing crops
district as being very fine

of wheat in