The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-09 00:00:00

SPAIN

Letters from Madrid of the 27th ult. convey the im-
portant information that Senor Gonzales Bravo had sus-
pended the Cortes on that day, with a view to its dissolu-
tion. The audacity of this measure on the part of a cha-
racterless adventurer—despised by his political opponents,
and distrusted even by those who have consented to act
with him—appears to have fallen like a thunder-clap on
the people of Madrid. It appears that the promulgation
of this decree was agreed to at a council held on the 26th,
but was kept a profound secret until it was communicated
to both Chambers. The reading of the royal decree was
listened to in silence, the audacity of the measure having
taken every one completely by surprise. The fear that a
change was working in the Cortes which would greatly
strengthen the hands of the opposition, appears to have
prompted this unconstitutional act. The plan of the go-
vernment, as announced to its friends, is-1. To collect
the taxes necessary for the public services. 2. To pub-
lish decree respecting the avuntamientos and the pro-
visional deputations, and to organise in like manner the
National Guard. 3. To re-assemble the Cortes, when
these measures have been carried out, for the purpose of
procuring an indemnity from that body for what ministers
shall have done. 4. To dissolve the Cortes, should it re-
fuse to grant a bill of indemnity. The conduct of Narvaez
and his tool Bravo has excited the deepest indignation,
and dissentients of all parties are coalescing against them.
The leading partisans of Espartero and the anti-Espartero
liberals met on the 27th, when both Cortino and Cabal-
lero candidly acknowledged the error into which they had
fallen in assisting in the overthrow of Espartero. General
anxiety prevails as to the effect of the suspension of the
sittings of the Cortes on the provinces. The Correeponsal
of the 27th expresses its astonishment at the measure,
whilst the remarks of the Eco and Especdator would lead
to the inference that the news will excite the greatest irri-
tation among their party. The Eco states that a meeting
had been held by the Progresista electors of Madrid, at
which they unanimously hoisted the banner of the
September, 1840. It is beginning to be pretty generally
felt in Madrid that the ex-Regent is the only, man copahle
of rescuing Spain from the difficulties in which it is now •
involved,

THE DUKE OF BORDEAUX.--The Cologne Gazelle
publishes a letter from Hanover of the 26th ult., stating
that the King of Hanover had sent a special invitation to
the Duke of Bordeaux to visit his Court.
A letter from the island of Bourbon, of the Ist of Sep-
tember, which is published in the French papers, states
that the English had taken possession of Diego Saurez,
a alagnificent port in the Island of Madagascar.
SHOEMAKING BY MACHINERY.—The Journal de
Paris states, that an operative in the Rue des Vielles
Andriettes, who for some time attended a course of lec-
tures on mechanics, has invented a machine to make
shoes, by means of which any person possessing sufficient
strength to turn a wheel can, in the course of a day,
finish 50 pair of excellent shoes of every size.
Sarah Gale, the companion of the notorious Green-
acre, and who, for the robhery on his unfortunate victim,
was sentenced to transportation, is living at Port Philip,
as assistant in a confectioner's shop. She is described,
by a person who recently saw her in that colony, as having
regained her health, and looking very comely; her hag-
gard appearance at her trial showing the relics of a coun-
tenance of considerable prior attractions.
Madame Grisi has failed in a suit brought in the Tri-
bunal of the Seine against her late husband, De Melcy,
for a division of the common property, no marriage set-
tlement having been originally drawn up to fix the manner
in which it should be disposed of; the defence set tip was,
that the civil code required such a claim to be made
within five months after the separation, which had not
been done in this case.

VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.—Tbe Sydney papers to the
26th of August represent the mercantile interest as suffer-
ing deeply from depression. In the legislature the mem-
bers were occupied with the finance minute of the
governor, and tht. discussion of the estimates were ex-
pected to attract considerable notice. It appeared that
in the year 1843 a deficiency of some £50,000 or £60,000
will occur in consequence of the excessive burthen of the
land fund and emigration expenses. For 1844, the
estimated expenditure was £330,493, while the revenue
was expected to reach from £350,000 to £370,000.

THE LAST MOMENTS OF A POET.—The Siecie gives
the following account of the last moments of Casimir
Delavigne :—" The invalid, accompanied by his wife and
son, was obliged to stop at Lyons by the progress of his
malady. A physician was called in, and from the moment
he saw his patient he considered his illness fatal, and in-
formed Madame Delavigne that her husband had only a
few hours to live. He succeeded, however, by his manner
and assurances, of restoring calmness of mind to the pa-
tient, who bad been at first alarmed. About eight o'clock
the same evening, the poet, when lying in bed, and in full
possession of his faculties, asked his wife, in order to
amuse the son, to read aloud. She accordingly took up
Guy Mannering,' and continued reading for about three-
quarters of an hour, at which time the patient asked for
some drink. As she was taking some precaution when
offering him the class, not to fatigue him, he cried out,
0 ! give it me, I am strong enough !' He then raised
himself up with some difficulty, and leaning his head on
his right hand, asked his wife to continue. But his fea-
tures were already changed, for death was near. Madame
Delavigne perceived the alteration, but, concealing her
grief, she resumed her reading, which her emotion ren-
dered unintelligible. Why,' said the dying man, you
are skipping whole sentences:' and, addressing his son,
told him to go on himself. A moment after the bead of
Casimir Delavigne fell back on the pillow. He began to
recite_ some
,yesses of_g_trageslY. at .whicbhe_ilad been at,
work time, and which was tome caned • Mein-
sine.' In two minutes after life had fled, and the nearly
concluded work which occupied his thoughts during his
last moments perished with him, for it is well known that
the deceased never wrote down his pieces until after hav-
ing completed them in his mind, and then recited them
from memory at the moments of preparing them for the
theatre."

THE EDINBURGH PROFESSORSHIP OF MUSLC.—Seve-
ral candidates are in the field for the post vacated by Sir
Henry Bishop; but the chances of success are now entirely
between two persons, namely, Mr. Donaldson, who ran
so close a race with the ex-professor at the last election,
and Dr. Gauntlett. Mr. Donaldson was formerly a music
leacher at Glasgow, but, marrying a lady of fortune, stu-
died at the bar, and became a barrister. He is regarded
as a good classical scholar, but is not known by his works
on music. He is the popular candidate in Edinburgh.
Dr. Gauntlett has been distinguished as a lecturer, and by
his improvements in organ building. He is a profound
theorist and practical musician, but has little local influ-
ence, being a resident of London.
EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN MINES OR COAL-PITS.
—lt will be in the recollection of our readers that Lord
Ashley a bill, for the prohibition of women working in
mines and pits, came into operation in March last, since
which time nothing of the kind has been heard of. On
Tuesday last, however, the first case of the infringement
of that humane act that has been judicially brought for-
ward was heard before the magistrates at the Guildhall,
Huddersfield. The following is the case :—Mr. J. W.
'Moot-house, coalpit owner of Wooldale, was summoned
by George Haigh, a constable of Almond bury, for having
on the 15th of November last, employed or suffered to be
employed in Lidget pit, as " harriers," four girls, named
Hannah Moss, aged 15 ; Elizabeth Moss, aged 12; Nancy
Goldthorpe, aged 13 : and Mary Senior, aged 17 years.
Haigh said, that on the above day lie went to the mouth of
the " day bole" of the pit, and saw four girls come out
with coals; he should not have known them to be women
but for their hair, their dress being like that of boys; he
stopped and saw them come out three times, bringing
coals each time. The poor unfortunate girls were examined
but were found to be so deplorably ignorant, that they
knew nothing of the month of November : they had
given over working six a eeks since last Saturday, but
they did recollect seeing Haigh in the cabin ; they worked
three days after that ; they were " hurriers." The mag-
istrates convicted in the lowest penalty prescribed, by act
of Parliament, viz., .£5 in each case, making £2O, and
the expenses. Haigh deserves the thanks of the commu-
nity for bringing this case to a public tribunal.
THE NORTHERN COAL TRDAE.—In 1770 there were
only 13 collieries on the Tyne, and in 1803 there were up-
wards of 30. In 1828 the number was increased to 4,
on the Tyne, and to 18 on the Wear, making in all 59.
The estimated powers of working possessed by these col-
lieries—that is, the quantity of coals they are able to
raise in a year—are calculated by the late -Mr. Buddle,
the most accurate and experienced viewer ever known in
the trade, at 5,887'522 tons. In 1836 the number of col-
lieries was again augmented on both rivers, and their pow-
ers of working extended to 8,123,922 tons yearly, being
an increase in seven years of 2,236,400 tons, or nearly
38 per cent. In addition to this there were in that year
new collieries already shipping coals, but not in the regu-
lation, capable of producing another million of tons,
which swells the increase per cent. to nearly 55, or con-
siderably more, than half. Still the Tees is not inclu ed
From the year 1826, when coals first began to be shipped
on the Tees, up to 1835, the quantity increased, year by
year, from 18,588 to 357,726 tons, conveyed along the
Stockton and Darlington Railway alone. In 1836 the
Clarence Railway was in operation, and we may fairly
assume the powers on the Tees in that year to have ex-
ceeded 500,000 tons. Thus, then, from 1826 to 1836 the
aggregate capabilities of the whole district has sprung
from 5,941,812 (including the Tees) to 9,623,922, show-
ing an increase of 3,682,130 tons, or fully 62-i per cent.
Taking the next septennial period, from 1836 to 1813, the
ratio is equally progressive. Hartlepool, in the interval,
has become a great and flourishing port ; and all the col-
lieries shipping there, with the exception of Thornley,
are creations belonging to this cycle. Lord Londonder-
ry's own snug little harbour of Seaham has grown into
magnitude and tripled its trade within the time. Two
joint-stock companies have, during the while, been formed,
each with a capital of nearly £500,000 sterling, and which
have sunk nearly the whole of their funds in exploring
new coal fields. Moreover, on the Blyth, the Tyne, the
Wear, and the Tees, multitudinous fresh winnings have
been made by private individuals and companies, whilst
an entirely new district around Warkworth has been called
into existence. In the same period, or nearly so, seven
additional public railways for the conveyance of coal have
been opened in the county of Durham alone. The impulse
has, in truth, been attended with amazing consequences.
The region of developed coal fields has been extended in
every direction, until it describes a vast circuit, stretch-
ing from Coquet, in the remote north, to the sterile waste
of Cockfield Fell in the far west, sweeping round Middle-
ham on the extreme south till stopped by the German
Ocean on the east. We cannot estimate the increase of
unri d at
s 0
00wters thus obtained at less than 3,000,000 of tons yearly,
no:iaat,s the aggregate capabilities of the district may be
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