The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-08-27 00:00:00

SOHO-STREET RAGGED SCHOOLS.—A tea-party, for
the benefit of these schools, was held in the Clare-street
Rooms, yesterday evening. About 200 persons were
present, and all appeared highly delighted.
SWEDEN AND NORWAY.—The preliminaries of a
.postal convention were signed on Saturday afternoon at
the Foreign-office, between Great Britain on the
one hand, and Sweden and Norway on the other, by
which the intercourse between the respective countries
will be greatly facilitated, and all the commercial, as well
as political, relations very much improved. Hitherto,
the rates of postage between th,s country and the domini-
ons of the King of Sweden were on a most expensive
and exaggerated scale. By the newly proposed arrange.
ments, the rates of postage will be very considerably re-
duced, and the facilities of intercommunication increased.
The above arrangement confers important benefits upon
the trade between the two countries. •The details, how-
ever, will not be made public until the ratifications shall
be exchanged. To Lord Clanricarde, the Postmaster-
General, is due the chief merit of bringing about this
most desirable reformation. His Lordship attended at
the Foreign-office on Saturday afternoon, to sign, in the
presence of Lord Palmerston, with Baron Rehausen, the
Swedish Minister, the preliminaries of the convention
agreed upon.
EXECUTION.—On Saturday morning Patrick Forbes
was executed for the murder of his wife. Immediately on
reaching the platform the prisoner turned from the gaze
of the public, who received him with execrations, and
sank on his knees; the two priests knelt also, and the
prayers appropriate to such occasions were repeated ; after
which the prisoner was delivered to the hangman. On
his rising, which he did with the assistance of the
turnkeys, the pri-st said to him, " Now step on like a
man." He appeared, however, unwilling or incapable of
doing so, and he had to be pushed and lifted on to the
drop, where he stood, with the assistance of the turn-
keys, trembling and repeating, " Mercy, Jesus," while
the hangman drew the cap over his face, adjusted the
rope, and attached the strap to both ancles. Up to this
time the prisoner had grasped a handkerchief in one hand,
but now he gave it to the turnkey. The necessary preli-
minaries having been adjusted, the hangman descended to
the apparatus below, the signal was given, the drop fell,
and the wretched man was launched into eternity, utter-

ing with extraordinary rapidity, and in a subdued tone,
"Mercy, Jesus." He was a strongly-made, heavy man,
and he died almost without a struggle. There was a
shout of execration when the prisoner fell, and when his

body almost disappeared behind the scaffolding there was
a loud cry of "Pull him up," a request which was speedily
complied with. The rope appeared to be too slack, but
the culprit did not suffer any additional agon3 on that
'ount although it created a little excitement in the
After hanging the usual time the body was
it down and buried within the precincts of the prison.
ourse of the preceding day the unhappy man ex-
pressed a desire to see Mr. Alderman Dunn, one of the
visiting magistrates, who has throughout evinced a deep
interest in the case. Mr. Dunn acceded to his wishes,
and at that interview the prisoner made a statement,
which was reduced to writing in the presence of the go-
vernor of the gaol. The following is the only part
relating to the crime of which he has been convicted :
" I loved my dear wife sincerely, and on the 22d of
March I had no intention to do her any injury whatever.
On that night I was very drunk, and am not conscious to
myself of having done anything to cause the death of my
'be deed was not done '

other person, I am willing to take the blame of it upoi
myself. lam satisfied I had a fair trial before my judg