The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-30 00:00:00

?Al LIVERPOOL STANDARDu

A seam of excellent coal has been discovered near the
Dardanelles, and will be extremely useful for the supply
of steamers navigating the Levant or the Black Sea.
It is the fundamental rule of all great reformations,jhat
the things to be amended must be brought back to their
beginnings.
THE ORIENTAL DIVAN.—This hotel is the multum in
parvo of a London house—replete with every convenience
for the stranger and the resident. The viands and all
the etceteras are of undeniable qualities.
ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.--The performances at this
Theatre, during the past week, have been of a most at-
tractive character; and the spirited management is, we
observe, preparing fresh novelties.
REPEAL OF,THE UNION.—A people without occupation,
leaders without honesty, labour without capital, turbu-
lence without controul, rashness without foresight, and
without common sense.

GAMBLING.—This vice has been practised by the most
civiliied and enlightened people, as well as by the most
barbarous and ignorant. The coronetted legislator of the
foremost nation in refinement has been known to sacrifice
a princely income to this passion. No station is free
from its degrading influence. The brutal bull-baiter,
and the most profound thinker have alike met ruin in its
vortex. An instance of the latter occurred in the case of
an author of European celebrity, who, in one of his works,
said " The gamester, is he dies a martyr to his pursuit, is
doubly ruined : he adds his soul to every other loss, and
by the act of suicide renounces earth to forfeit heaven !"
The man who wrote that sentence was himself a gambler,
and ultimately a suicide ! Such is the result of this de-
moralizing habit, commenced perhaps in a state of dissi-
pated ennui, and continued through a vitiated state of the
digestive organs, entailing a morose, peevish, and discon.
tented state of mind, the whole of which might have been
prevented by the occasional use of that mild aperient,
Frampton's Pill of Health.
ORIGIN OF THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—Upwards of
sixty years ago, (or, in 1787-89), when Arthur Young was
travelling in France, he met with a Monsieur Lomond,
" a very ingenious and inventing mechanic," who had
made a remarkable discovery in electricity. " You write
two or three words on a paper," says You,:g : " betakes it
with him into a room, and turns a machine enclosed in a
cylindrical case, at the top of which is an electrometer, a
small, fine, pith ball ; a wire connects with a similar cy.
linder and electrometer in a distant apartment; and his
wife by remarking the corresponding motions of the ball,
writes down the words they indicate; from which it ap-
pears he has formed an alphabet of motions. As the
length of the wire makes no difference in the effect, a cor-
respondence might be carried on at any distance. What-
ever the use may be, the invention is beautiful." This
discovery, however, lay unnoticed until about three years
since; though the apparatus was designed to effect the
same end as the electric telegraph, by means very similar.
—The London Telegraph.

CHARGE OF MUTINY AND PIRACY AGAINST
SIX OF THE CREW OF A VESSEL TRADING
TO AFRICA.

At the Police-court yesterday, a good deal of interest
and curiosity was excited by the coming on of a case in
which six seamen who had formed the greater part of the
crew of the barque " Cora," on a recent voyage to the
coast of Africa from this port, stood charged by the own-
ers of the vessel, Messrs. Harrison and Co., with certain
acts of mutiny and piracy. The prisoners names were
James Farrell, (mate), John Rigby, Thomas Coults, Jas.
Baine, Robert Goodchild, and Antonio Baranico, (or Ba-
vazico)—seamen, coopers, and carpenter of the ship.
Mr. Rogerson, solicitor, opened the case for the owners,
and stated that the prisoners were charged with running
away with the Cora, and breaking into the cargo.
Two of the prisoners (coopers) were defended' by Mr.
Yates, and the mate by Mr. Snowball.
The principal witness called for the complainants was
Mr. Blundell, the surgeon of the vessel. He said the
Cora left Liverpool for Benin on the 19th of August,
1847, and arrived out on the 29th September, Captain
Gillespie was in command of the ship out, but died on
board after his arrival. Witness left the vessel for three
weeks, but accompanied the agent, Mr. Henry, to Fernan-
dezpo, and was absent three weeks. He was on board of
her again on the 10th of November, and Mr. Henry, who
was also there, said before him and others, " I leave the
vessel in charge of the mate, Mr. Farrell, (one of the
prisoners,) and Captain Dawson will come on board to-
morrow and take her over the bar." When Mr. Henry
left Farrell, he said that Captain Gillespie had told him
before his death that he had been poisoned by Captain
Dawson. The mate then said he would go in search of a
man-of-war in order to obtain a redress of grievances.
Henry told Henry Jones, oneof the crew, that if Farrell did
not go up the river with the ship, and take charge of the
Maria Louisa (atender used by the agents) hewould tie hitn.
The Cora went to sea on the 9th, in the evening. Wit-
ness remonstrated with the mate for doing so—alluding
to the insurance; but the mate said that he had looked
into the insurance, and that he (witness) had better not
interfere, as there were parties on board who would do him
injury if he did. The ship did not proceed far. Next
morning, Captain Dawson came within hail in a boat
to take the vessel over the bar, but the mate told the
croo-boys to tell him to keep away. Dawson did not get
on board, and they went to sea. Dawson went back, and
returned in a cutter, and tired 9 guns. The barque also
'fired, but as witness heard, to leeward. On the morning
of the 12th, the Maria Louisa schooner came in sight, and
pursued the barque three or four days, but could not come
up with her. On the morning of the 16th, H. M.
steamer Grappler came up, and after communicating with
the schooner, hoarded the Cora. The lieut. in command
called the mate, the second mate, and witness to the
quarter deck, and read the articles over to the crew, tell-
ing them to return to their duty. Some of them refused.
The mate did not refuse, but wished them to return, say-
ing he was in search of a man-of-war to obtain a redress
of grievances. The lieutenant reasoned with them. The
men then stated they had been used very badly on the
river by Captain Dawson. A chest containing 20 guns,
part of the cargo, was opened, and the men loaded them ;
the mate and carpenter loaded them with coopers' rivets
and powder from a barrel that was broached, and was part
of the cargo. A swivel was loaded in the same way.
-Some machettes (a kind of sword knife) were also taken
—5 or 6.—When the schooner came up, Carpenter said he
would set fire to the magazine and blow her up before
they should be taken.—The mate said the same thing.
On the previous day, the carpenter said when in sight of
the man-of-war, that those who would not assist to defend
the barque, must die. Morgan and Jones were since dead ;
both dissented from the mate's opinion. -Witness made
memorandums of these transactions himself.
Cross-examined by Mr. Snowball.—l heard that
Dawson had flogged a man who afterwards died. From
the 4th November to 10th December 1 was absent with
the schooner, during the time Captain Gillespie and two
men died, and no surgeon was on board, no fresh meat
on board. Nearly the whole of crew were afflicted with
the scurvy. No lime juice fit to use left. When we left
the greater part of the crew were knocked up, nine down
ill at one time, and not more than three well at a time, the
climate more than anything else was the cause.
I saw one man flogged, and the steward was flogged by
Henry himself. Had broken a porter bottle on the cap-
tain's head. The captain had flogged him with a rope
before the bottle was used. Henry threatened the crew
what he would do with them when he got into the river.
He told them once or twice that he would see their back
bones.

Re-examined by Mr. Yates.—l know the coopers • they
were cutting rivets to put into the guns. Baine orWh:itb) ?
—I saw only Baine cutting the rivet heads off. Whitby
was in a low, weak state, from debility, and would not
have been so, if they had had good and fresh provision 3.
One Thomas also died. Antonio was been flogged by the
agent, on hoard the Cora, in the river, after the Cora re-
turned. He was flogged with a cat. He is in a very bad
state. I never heard before of an agent degrading himself
by going on board and flogging the men. Baine did not
put the cut rivets into the guns. They might have been
cut by command of the mate, who had command of the
ship.
Several other witnesses were examined, and it appeared
that Antonio, who was ill at the hospital, could not be
brought, if indeed he will be proceeded against. The
prisoner Whitby was discharged to be taken as a witness
hereafter, he having had nothing to do with the affair, as
the doctor said he was ill of fever in the bed all the time.
The second mate is also to be brought up, if he can be
found, as a witness. Mr. Snowball made some remarks
on the cruel conduct of threats pursued towards the men
by Henry, the agent, and Dawson, and contended that
there was no case of felony against any of the accused.
They had been left far six weeks nearly, all ill, without
proper provisions, lime juice, or surgical attendance. Mr.
Yates also made some strong remarks. Mr. Rushton
adjourned the further hearing until to-day at one o'clock.
We learn that soon after the transactions stated transpired,
Captain Dawson himself died, on the coast.

FREE TRADE AND REDUCED WAGES OF SHIP-
WRIGHTS.

The Newcastle Journal states that " Several extensive
ship-builders, at Sunderland, have given notice to their
ship-wrights that next week they intend to reduce the
wages of their artisans from twenty-four to twenty shil-
lings a week. Some time ago the wages of these work-
men were twenty-seven to thirty shillings per week, so
that the proposed reduction will be to the extent of more
than thirty per cent. since the grand boon of free trade
was given as a blessing to the working classes."
This is at least significant as to the opinion of the ship-
builders of the Tyne, as to the effect which will be pro-
duced upon their trade by the proposed last nail in their
coffin—the Repeal of the Navigation Laws. But we have
a further fact for the consideration of our readers. It
will be recollect that at the meeting on Friday week,
the evidence of Mr. Josiah Wilson, of Sunderland, was
referred to, in which he asserted that ships could be
built better and cheaper than in the perts of the Baltic,
and stated that he had built in Sunderland a ship for £7
per ton,. whereas the price in Prussia is £lO per ton.
We find, however, from the speech of an able witness,
Matthew Popplewell, Esq., surveyor for Lloyd's, that
these cheap shipbuilders in the Tyne, notwithstanding.
their reduction of wages, are not driving a very roaring
trade. He says, at a meeting held last week in Sunder-
land, " It is a fact that at this moment in Newcastle and
Shields, Newcastle being the third port in the kingdom,
with forty docks and slipways on the banks of the Tyne,
there is not to be found such a thing as an order for a
single ship." Of course it is anticipated that the coal and
coasting trade will in future be carried on in the cheap
vessels, allowed to be purchased from the Swedes and the
Danes. With respect to the carrying trade between these
ports and Europe, the same gentleman furnishes us with
the following startling evidence :
" He remembered on one occasion being in Dublin, when
a very intelligent Norwegian captain had his ship lying at
the quay, and being curious, as every man ought to be,
know at what rate he navigated the vessel—it was just at
the time when Mr. Huskisson proposed tha laws for
creating reciprocity treaties—he went on board the vessel
and inquired particularly as to the feeding of the crew, the
rate of freight, wages, price of the ship, &c. He found that
such a ship could be built for two-thirds the price of a
British one, and the outfit with the exception of the iron,
was about the same rate. Take it in the gross, as about
two-thirds the price of a British ship. When he told them
the wages the men had for the voyage from Norway to
Dublin, and back to Norway, he would hardly be believed.
In the first place they had to load the ship without a
lumper, navigate her to Dublin quay, discharge the vessel
without a Jumper again, heave in the ballast without the
assistance of a ballast heaver, navigate her back to Norway
again—and for what thought they ? For considerably
less than our sailors have for a voyage from here to Lon-
don. Fifty shillings was their wages, Now, he would
be glad to know how the families of our sailors could sub-
sist during the voyage from Norway to Dublin, and back
to Norway, on fifty shillings."
Certainly the British sailor can as little subsist upon
such wages as these, as the shipowner, with either a British
or a foreign crew, can compete in freight with a vessel
built for two-thirds the price of his own.

CHANGE OF OPINION.-ITe that never changed any of
his opinions never corrected any of his mistakes ; and he
who never was wise enough to find out any mistakes in
himself will not be charitable enough to excuse what he
reckons mistakes in others.—Dr. Whichcote.
TRUE, NO DOUBT.—" Father," said a juvenile apothe-
cary, to his learned dad,' "what's the reason they don't
use pestles .in battle ?" "Pestles, my son, what should
they do with pestles in battle ?" " Why, the Wellington
despatches say the mortars did great execution, and I can't
see how, without pestles." " Pound away, my son, and
don't puzzle me with your questions." Mortars and pestles
do a great deal of damage, without being used on the field
of battle.

TURKEYS.—We may state, with regard to the much-
disputed name of the turkey, which is a Mexican bird,
that the author suggests that, as the wattle of the bird,
when angry, turns from red to a turquoise blue, the
latter may have something to do with it. He is of opinion,
moreover, that the turkey was . not known in England
previous to the reign of Edward IV., seeing that it didaot
figure at the enthronisation of George Neville, Archbishop
of York ; and certainly, if it were not there, it was .be-
cause it was not procurable. The articles at that famous
passage of gastronomic daring reckoned by hundreds and
thousands; and we can assure Dr. Musgrave that, had' the
guests of his predecessors lived to the present year, and
remained at table the whole time, there would have been
more than enough of remains wherewith to furnish forth
the modern banquets of contemporary enthronisations.
Among the lesser meats were four hundred roasted swans,
and Lord Willoughby, unhappy man, had to carve them.
We have no doubt that he died of it.— Church of Eng-
land Quarterly Review.