The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-01-28 00:00:00

EMBEZZLEMENT.—On Thursday :Walter Malone was
committed to the sessions for receiving and not accounting
for two sums of money collected by him for his employer,
Mr. George Bryant, coal agent. The prisoner had been
before in custody for embezzling money belonging to Mr.
Johnson, the agent whom Mr. Bryant succeeded, but
was discharged in consequence of Mr. Johnson failing to
appear.

PRESTON FANCY BALL.—On Thursday evening last
J. Paley, Esq., the mayor of Preston, gave a splendid
fancy ball to upwards of 400 gu:sts, for which occasion
the Town and Guildhalls were used. The Justice Hall
was used as theball-zoom, the Council Chamber as the
reception-room, and the Guild Ball as the refectory, all
of which were decorated in the most gorgeous style. The
company began to arrive a little before nine, and shortly
after that hour dancing commenced to the lively strains of
Horabin's band, and continued without int.rmission until
five o'clock the following morning, and at that hour those
who were in the room seemed unwilling to depart. The
refreshments were provided by Mr. Lynn, of Liverpool.
The ball passed off with the utmost satisfaction to all.
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.—On Monday morning last,
shortly after six o'clock, to the astonishment of the men
attending the luggage trains in the railway-yard, Wap_
ping, a female, completely covered with mud and sand,
was seen suddenly to emerge from the tunnel. On being
questioned as to who she was, and how she got there, she
said her name was Margaret Hughes—that she resided in
Temple-buildings, Dale street, and that on the previous
evening she went to see her husband's brother, who re-'
sides at Edge-hill—that she left there late at n.ght, lost
her way, and falling down a hole, was very much stunned
by the fall, and in coming to herself, discovered she was
in the tunnel. She immediately got up, and made all
haste to get out of it. She had scarcely finished her tale,
when the Grand Junction luggage train arrived at the
bottom of the tunnel ; and, had she been a few minutes
later, it would have overtaken her, and most probably
have crushed her to pieces. There is no doubt but the
poor woman, from some cause, fell from the top of the
embankment, near the entrance of the tunnel, at Edge-
hill ; and afterwards had thus got into the tunnel.
BANKRUPTCY COURT: MESSENGER'S FEES.---At the
sitting of the Liverpool District Bankruptcy Court, on
Thursday, Mr. Green, solicitor, mentioned the case of an
insolvent, the sitting for whose final order had not been
advertised by the messenger, in consequence of a dispute
as to the fees, that officer having demanded, in the first
instance, £3 145., though, as he (Mr. Green) contended,
he was not entitled to anything, not even to the money
he bad to pay for advertisements. In support of this
view he cited a clause in the Act which enacts that no
" fee or gratuity" should be paid to (amongst other offi-
cers) any messenger, except such as should be specified in
a list signed by the Commissioners ; and he submitted,
that, as no such list was yet signed, no sum was payable.
The Commissioner said, that fee or gratuity could scarcely
mean money paid for advertisements, and that the court
would certainly not pay such fees. Ultimately the Com-
missioner said he would direct the messenger to advertise,
annd t
o payment of the disbursements for the advertisements,
he question of fees could be referred to the registrar.
and be brought forward at a future time. Mr. Green
expressed himself much obliged by this arrangement.
THE CORN TRADE.—OH Thursday, a public meeting
of gentlemen connected with the Corn Trade was held in
the committee-room of the Corn-Exchange, Brunswick-
street, for the purpose of taking into consideration the
propriety of including the value of the sack in the sale
price of flour in the sack. The meeting was numerously
attended, and several of the most influential persons in
the trade were present. R. Woodward, Esq., was una-
nimously called to the chair, upon taking which, in a neat
speech, he introduced to the meeting the important sub-
ject upon which they had been called together. Mr.
William Blain demonstrated in the clearest manner that
an immense amount of time and labour would be saved,
both to the grinders of the corn and those who traded in
flour, and a great expense saved, if sacks were included in
the sales, in the same way that barrels are, and he
strongly urged every one connected with the trade strenu-
ously to endeavour to bring about such a change in the
ordinary method of doing business as might effect this ob-
ject. He moved a resolution to that effect, which will be
found advertised in another column. Mr. John Head
forcibly supported the motion, which was carried unani-
mously. Mr. H. Gregg moved the second resolution.
It would be of great importance in conducting to the suc-
cess of the proposed change, if the millers and shippers
were induced to support this change. The next resolution
was to request the Irish millers and shippers to agree to
it, and to signify their approbation to their agents in Li-
verpool by the 6th of February next. The meeting was
then adjourned until that day, in order to give time for
replies to be received, and after a vote of thanks to the
chairman, the meeting separated.

HIGHWAY BOARD, THURSDAY.—An application was
received from the Paving and Sewerage Commissioners
of Toxteth •park, wishing to be allowed to connect a sewer
they were making in St. Jarnes's.place with the one in
Parliament-street belonging to the board. After some
conversation, it was agreed that a committee, consisting
of Messrs. Cooper and Aspinall, with the law-clerk and
surveyor, should confer with the parties on the subject.
The treasurer reported that Messrs. Holmes had paid the
£lOO as portion of the expense of paving the front of the
new Bankruptcy Courts with wood. Mr. Deane recom-
mended Perrin's wood pavement as the best. It was
agreed that measures should he taken for proceeding with
it immediately. Mr. Aspinall suggested the propriety of
laying down the wood pavement opposite the Board room,
—the noise occasioned by carts was a great nuisance.
One or two members observed that the street had only
lately been macadamized, and here the matter dropped.
Directions were given to the law-clerk that lie should con-
fer with Messrs. Jeffrey and Morrish, and cause them to
put down the flags, opposite their new building in Basnett-
street.—A letter was read from the Churchwardens of St.
Matthias's Church, complaining of the stench arising
from a sewer in that neighbourhood ; stench vats were
ordered to be put down.—Mr. Kaye called the attention
of the Board to the state of Great Howard-street, from
Bury's foundry up to Victoria-road. About six weeks
ago it had been covered with macadam stone, and done
in a substantial manner, what he complained of was that
it had not been taken care of when put in a proper state
of repair ; the macadam had been all washed off, and it
was now in as bad a state as it could possibly be. It was
a most public road, and ought to be attended to immedi-
ately. Mr. Cunningham said it would cost £l5OO to pave
it, and then it would last for some years. It was decided
that the board should first ascertain how the new dock
works were likely to interfere with the road before they
repaired it, and that a conference should be had with Mr.
Hartley, the Dock Surveyor.—A letter was read from the
Old Carters' Company, to the effect that, if the board al-
lowed the Dock Committee to lay rails along certain
streets, they (the company) wished permission to allow
the public at large the right of putting on trucks or carts
for the conveyance of goods. The subject was then left
over to be considered when the matter relative to the
Dock Trust, referred to in the letter, should be brought
before the board.

INCREASED ACCOMMODATION FOR LONATICS.—OR
Wednesday last, a special county session of magistrates
was held at Preston, to consider a requisition from the
visiting justices of the Lancaster Lunatic Asylum, rela-
tive to an alleged want of accommodation for pauper lu-
natics. Mr. Horton said, he believed the matter upon
which they had to deliberate that day had originated with
himself. At the last sessions the number of lunatics in
the county was 1,414. He meant lunatics in the condi-
tion of paupers, including criminals and vagrants. Now,
there was bnt room for 600 in the Asylum. Another cir-
cumstance he might mention was the increase of lunacy
in the county, which is in a ratio greater than the pro-
gress of the population. He might also state, that of the
1,414 lunatics in the county, 494 of them belonged to the
Asylum ; 18 were in licensed houses; 399 in union work-
houses; and 242 were kept by their friends. The re-
mainder were persons living in poor-houses, but no unions.
lie moved a resolution to the effect, that the present in-
competent provision called for a prompt and complete
remedy. Mr. T. B. Addison said, he could not agree to
this unless some more definite proposal were before them,
and he proposed the appointment of a committee to con-
sider the subject.—Mr. Horton thought that £ll,OOO
would provide all the additional accommodation neces-
sary.—Mr. Brotherton, M.P., said, that from returns
made to parliament in August, 1843, it appeared there
were 1,153 lunatics and idiots in the county-651 were
lunatics and 502 idiots. Of this number 491 were in the
County Asylum, 18 in licensed houses, 391 in Union
Workhouses, and 242 kept by friends. Thus there were
about 500 in the Asylum, and 600 in the Workhouse and
at large. The question is, in which way will you provide
for those who are in the Union Workhouse, contrary to
law (hear, hear), and at large ? It seemed to him there
could only be two modes—either by enlarging the old
Asylum or erecting a new one. Now, with respect to the
enlargement of the Asylum at Manchester, it was right
they should know that the commissioners of lunacy were
opposed to it. He had received a memorial signed by 40
medical practitioners of Manchester and neighbourhood,
which recommended the erection of a County Lunatic
Asylum in that district, capable of accommodating 250
lunatics, for the admission of recent and curable cases
only, whilst those of a chronic and incurable character
might be sent to Lancaster, or some other asylum appro-
priated for that purpose. It appeared that in the Black-
burn Union, with a population of upwards of 75,000,
there were 69 pauper lunatics; in Salford, with a popula-
tion of upwards of 70,000, there were 25 ; in Todmorden,
the
pkoipkup,
loappt
lion, Boastni,oownoaos,23il,
(,)0000
lunatics,,
laind n7la
tt; hcaesn
dtai
na; t i
Pie
nrs
Preston,
or;
ensi,tn
pOO
Derby,prumias
tion 53,000, lunatics 71. Now, belonging to Blackburn,
with 75,000 of a population, there were 11 lunatics in the
County Asylum, the average cost of which was 2s. 74d.
per week ; belonging to Salford, with a population of
70,000, there were 19 lunatics in the Asylum, at a cost of
ss. 5d.; belonging to Todmorden, with 31,000 of a popu-
lation, there were 10, costing 2s. 91d.: Ormskirk, popu-
lation 24,000, lunatics in asylum 12, cost 6s. Rel.; West
Derby, population 88,000, lunatics in asylum 20, cost
6s. Bd.; Preston, population 53,000, lunatics in asylum 12,
cost 2s. 101 d. These were only a few of the unions which
he had selected; and from these statements it would be
seen how many of these poor creatures were unprovided
for. He moved a resolution to the effect stated in the
memorial.—Mr. Marshall seconded the motion. The
npo rp tuhl ea
rt ino nd s
ne
was southero only
ni y divisiono Tacso 1,6 n
s2eq4,oou en 0, but
07i thet
was
a hardship for the south to be compelled to send its pau-
pers all the way to Lancaster. It was an extraordinary
fact, too, that, in the Lonsdale hundred, the proportion
of the insane people to the whole population was 1 in 160,
but in Salford it was only lin 3,000. It was extraordi-
nary, because it showed the prevalence of insanity in the
agricultural districts.—Mr. Addison's motion was carried,
and the following magistrates were appointed to form a
committee :—For the Amounderness Hundred, Mr. T. B.
Addison; for Lonsdale llundred, Mr. Mackreth ; for
Leyland Hundred, Mr. Calrow ; for Salford Hundred,
the Rev. T. S. Mills.