The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-05-28 00:00:00

GENERAL MISCELLANY.

On Friday last her Majesty completed her twenty-fifth
year.
- - -

The guano trade is still thriving, and no less than 300
British vessels are now engaged in a business that was
not thought of two years ago.
That ornament of the peerage, William Lionel Felix (!)
Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower, figures in the list of
insolvents in Tuesday's Gazelle.
Mr. Crockford, of gaming-table notoriety, expired
between nine and ten o'clock on Friday night. His death
will add to the difficulties of the settling on the Derby.
LAUNCESTON ELECTlON.—Yesterday week, Admiral
Bowles was returned member for this borough, in the
room of Sir Henry Hardinge.
Several agricultural villages have petitioned the House
of Commons to re-inflict the punishment of death on
persons guilty of the crime of arson.

r STRANGE FOSTER MOTHER.—There is now to be seen
at Mrs. Norton's, the Mexborough Arms Inn, Hunslet,
near Leeds, a cat that is suckling six young rabbits.
A DESTRUCTIVE PAUPER.—On Friday week, a pauper
in the Devizes Union workhouse, who was dissatisfied
with his supper, demolished four hundred and thirteen
panes of glass.
CONVERTED MEMBER.—On Monday, in the Commons,
Mr. Scott Murray, having embraced the Roman Catholic
religion, took the oath prescribed for members of that
persuasion.
ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.—On Friday next, the 31st
instant, there will be a total eclipse of the moon. The
eclipse will commence at fourteen minutes after eight in
the evening, and terminate at twenty-six minutes after
one o'clock the following morning.
PATENT MEDICINES.—We learn from a parliamentary
return just printed, that the amount of duty on patent
medicines, in the 10 years, ending sth January, 1844, was
on an average, nearly £30,000 a year. This shows an im-
mense consumption.

A short time since, a poor woman of Colchester, having
scratched ber hand, and afterwards brought it in contact
with a corpse which she had been engaged to lay out, the
member became inflamed, and the disease increased to
such a degree as to cause death a few days afterwards.

THE 110IISES OF PARLIAMENT.—It appears by a re-
turn made to the House of Commons, that in 1838 the
Lords of the Treasury limited Mr. Barry's remuneration,
as architect of the Houses of Parliament, to £25,000 to
be paid at intervals in proportion to the advance of the
• works.

In the gambling-houses broken into by the police last
week false dice were found among the gambling imple-
ments seized. The brass divisions of the roulette tables
are in most of these dens so formed as to present an ob-
struction to the entrance of the ball at the will of the
manager of the table.

Negociations respecting the reduction of the tariffs of
the two countries have been opened by the English and
French governments, and will be prosecuted with greater
activity during the interval of the session. Persons
engaged in the Wine arid Brandy trade must not, accor-
dingly, lose all hope.
A synagogue, in a style of splendour surpassing any-
thing hitherto attempted in England, is about to be erected
in the west of the metropolis. Sir Moses Montefiore has
contributed £5,000 towards the building, on the under-
standing that the worship is to be according to the usages
of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews.

DEATH OF THE HON. MR. WORTLEY.—We regret to
state that the tion. Ch.lee Wortley, ynungoet eon of
Lord Wharncliffe, President of the Council, expired on
Wednesday morning last at the house of his brother in
Grosvenor-street. The deceased gentleman was thirty-
four years of age, and married to a daughter of the Duke
of Rutland, by whom he has several children.
DEATH PREFERRED TO SLAVERY.—ShortIy before the
royal mail steamer Trent left Cuba, a fine-looking black
slave went on board, but on being informed that he must
return on shore, he drew out a knife and nearly severed
Lis head from his body. On his person were fonnd 200
dollars, which he had saved, three boxes of cigars, and a
copy of Gil Blas. He belonged to an unkind master, from
whom he had hoped to escape.
LORD CHIEF JUSTICE TINDAL.—We are enabled to
give the most positive contradiction to the report current
in the legal circles—viz., that the learned and excellent
Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas con-
templates, or has expressed a wish to resign his high
office at the expiration of the present term. His lord-
ship at present does not entertain any intention of retir-
ing from public life.—Standard.
GUANO.—The market is better supplied, and holders
are more inclined to sell; the tendency of prices is deci-
dedly downwards, A cargo of Peruvian, which has been
nearly three years in London docks, has been sold from
£l2 10s, to £l3 per ton. For arrival cargoes of African
are offering at prices varying from £5 10s. to £8 10s. per
ton, according to the month.—London New Price
Current.

THE PRIZE COMEDY.—The Committee appointed by
Mr. Webster to award the prize of £5OO to the best prose
comedy illustrative of modern British manners and cus-
toms concluded their labours on Saturday, by adopting
the piece entitled Quid pro quo, or the Day of Dupes.
Of the authorship of this production, we are not at liberty
to say more than it is by a lady, known to literary fame.
There were 98 competitors.
A BLIND CARPENTER,—Near Cheddar Cliffs, in
Somersetshire, stands John Cooper's cottage. This ex-
traordinary man brls been quite blind for forty years,
during which period he has learned the trade of a carpen-
ter, and may be seen making a cart, waggon or some other,
implement in husbandry, without the least assistance, his
mortices and mouldings being truly accurate, and he can
distinguish any kind of timber.
NOVEL IMPORT.—A new trade has sprung up in Hull,
to the benefit of the sister isle. On Friday morning, a
stranger from Ireland arrived by railway, at seven o'clock,
with a thousand and forty ducks, which were in Liverpool
at seven the preceding evening. He sent them out in
droves of fifty, in various parts of the town, and by Mon-
day evening had disposed of the whole (excepting the odd
forty), at Is. a couple. The speculation was so success-
ful, that he immediately sent for a further supply.—Hull
paper.
THE APOTHECARIES' HALL.—This establishment has
just issued a report of its proceedings since 1815, when
penal enactments were passed against any unlicensed
person practising. From the report it appears that, from
August, 1815, to January, 1844, there were 11,564 appli-
cants for admission, of whom 1531 were rejected, and
10,033 admitted. In the years 1836-7, the applications
were 622, which, in 1842-3, were reduced to 396, The
report stated that the hall had succeeded in almost every
prosecution against unqualified practitioners, and that
each prosecution cost £320.

A foot race for the championship came off on Tuesday,
at Smitham Bottom, near London. The competitors
were George Bradshaw, of Hammersmith, and Benjamin
Butler, of Hanwell, the former a thin man of 5 feet 8
inches, and the latter a very stout person, measuring 6
feet 2 inches ; the first two miles were run in 17 minutes,
the first six miles in 53 minutes. Both were together for
eight miles, when Butler took the lead, and Bradshaw,
having a violent pain in his side, gave in at the 15th mile.
Butler performed the 25 miles very comfortably in four
hours and a half.
DEATH PROM VOLUNTARY STARFATION.—OR Mon-
day afternoon, Mr. Baker held an inquest at the Blue
Anchor, Club-row, Bethnal-green, on the body of James
Beasley, aged 51 years. It appeared by the evidence that
the deceased was a weaver : that he lived by himself ;
kept three large cats, which were in fine condition ; but
he had himself wasted away for want of food, from which
he had voluntarily abstained. It was ascertained, by
post mortem examination, that the intestines were quite
empty, except a little water. Verdict—" Natural death,
accelerated by exhaustion and starvation." The real fact
is, we suppose that the poor fellow was a lunatic.
REFUSING TO ASSIST A CONSTABLE.—OR Monday
last, Mr. James Wade, of Wakefield, shopkeeper, was
charged before the magistrates at the Court-house in that
town, by Mr. Thomas Haigh, one of the constables ap-
pointed under the Parish Constables Act, with refusing
to assist him to quell a disturbance after being charged so
to do. Wr. Wade said he had a shop to attend to which
be could not leave. The Benchinformed him that he was
liable to an indictment for misdemeanor, and liable to be
punished by fine or imprisonment or both. Mr. Haigh
did not wish to press the charge, and Mr. Wade was or-
dered to pay the expenses.

ASTRONOMICAL PROGNOSTICS OF RAIN.—Mr. G. Sug-
den, of Howden, writes thus to the Mark-lane Express :
" I anticipate a sudden transition from drought to moist-
ure, as the planet Venus has entered the watery sign
Cancer. An old author says, Venus, in the first ten
degrees of Cancer, gives certain rain ; consequently, we
may expect fine genial showers at intervals during the
next ten days. Positive electricity prevails for a few days
about the middle of the month, discharging itself in va-
rious parts of the kingdom, but, generally speaking, a fine
growing month may be expected." Venus in Cancer has
not, up to this time, been so bountiful as the old author
avers her to be, at least, we have but few or no droppings
thereof in this part of the country.

Hors.—Worcester, May 22.—The appearance of fly
in many Hop-gardens has caused considerable excitement
in our market within the last few days, and to several
months of unusual dulness has succeeded an active trade,
with an advance in prices from the lowest point of 7s. to
Bs. per cwt., and which was firmly maintained in our
market on Saturday. The present rates of the best
1843's ranged from £6 12s. to £6 16s. per cwt., and
1842's from 115 s to 120 s per cwt. Both sorts are scarce,
and quite inadequate to meet the increased demand;
in
consequence of which good fresh old hops have been in,
quired after, and some sales of 1837's and 1839's have
been made at 50s to 63s per cwt., and a few old lots at
30s to 42s per cwt. There were 18 pockets weighed on
Saturday.

THE NEW GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA,—SOUTH-
AMPTON, MAY 22.—The heavy baggage of the new Go-
vernor-General of India is expected here in a day or two
for shipment in the Great Liverpool, which departs for
Alexandria on the Ist of June. The Governor-General
and suite do not, however, embark here. They are to
proceed via France to Marseilles, where a Government
steamer will be in waiting to convey them direct to Egypt,
from whence they will embark, at Suez, on board the
Oriental Company's steam-ship, the Hindostan, for Cal-
cutta, and will arrive there about the 20th of July. Sir
Henry Hardinge will be the first Governor-General of
India who has proceeded to his government by what is
called the overland route. It is a question whether Lord
Ellenborough will have had time to make arrangements
for his return before his successor's arrival, which will
take place only a few days after Lord Ellenborough re-
ceives his recall. it is calculated that Sir Henry will have
entered upon his high functions in India within little
more than a couple of months from the date of his ap-
pointment being made in Leadenhall-street—a celerity of
movement which the history of Indian affairs has never
yet been able to record.
SELF-TRANSPORTATION.—In the Royal Court, Guern-
sey, on Saturday week, James Cohu, aged 19, and Henry
Dufour, aged 18, were charged with having at various
times feloniously entered the premises of Mrs. De Lancey,
at the Grange, and stolen therefrom sums of money to
the amount of £l5; also a dozen of wine, as also 3s. from
a dresser in the kitchen. Advocates Utermarck and Fella
severally stated that the prisoners were not desirous of
making any defence, " but they were willing to leave their
country (i.e. Guernsey) for such period as the court might
think fit to order, as had been done in several previous
instances." The Queen's Procureur said, that as the
only proof against the prisoners was derived from Cohu's
confession, which was made under a promise given by
Mrs. De Lancey that he should be admitted as Queen's
evidence, and, considering that they were both young
men, against whom no complaint had been previously
brought, he recommended that the court should order
Cobu to leave the island for six years, and Dufour for
four years. The court, considering the above circum-
stances, and considering also that if the prisoners bad
been tried and convicted their " punishment " would not
have exceeded that which they " asked for," ordered
Cohu to quit the island for five years and Dufour for four
years. The two young men left gaol for Southampton, to
try their luck in the convict settlement of England.