The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-02-27 00:00:00

LOCAL NEWS.

CORONER'S INQUESTS.— Three inquests were held
before the borough coroner on Tuesday. The first was on
the body of Margaret Matilda Hamer, of Harrison-court,
Peter-street, a child two and a half years of age, who,
whilst sitting at the fire, got severely burnt over her right
side. The second was on the body of Wm. Embleton,
62 years of age, who was found in bed with his throat cut,
and a razor by his side. The third was on the body of
James Thompson, who was found lying dead on some
steps in Park-place, and appeared to have died of a fracture
of the spine, the result of the tall. Verdicts in accordance
with the evidence were returned in the several cases.
THEATRE-ROYAL.—The "Christmas Carol" and the
pantomime continue to attract full houses to our royal
establishment. On Friday and Saturday nights, Mr.
Webster and Madame Celeste added their services to in-.
crease the attraction ; and, we regret to observe, for the
last time that we are to see them this season. The benefit,
on Tuesday night, of that old favourite of the Liverpool
public (Mrs. Clarke) drew the best attended house since
the theatre opened under its present lesseeship. We are
happy to see, by the bye, that the husband of this lady
(Mr. Clarke), so long stage-manager in this theatre, has
concluded an engagement with the lessees to resume his
former position, which, we have no doubt, he will occupy
to the satisfaction of the public.
DEATH BY BEING RUN-OVER BY A CART.—On Thurs-
day last, an inquisition was held before P. F. Curry, Esq.,
touching the death of Abigail Rhodes, aged 75 years. On
the evening of the 6th November, the deceased went out,
stating that she would return in a short time. It appeared
that about 6 o'clock, the same evening, as she was cross-
ing Canning-place, near South John-street, a cart, drawn
by one horse, and going at a moderate pace, came in con-
tact with her. The shaft struck her about the shoulders,
and knocked her down, and the off wheel passed over her.
Her right thigh was broken, and her back was also in-
jured. She was taken to the Northern Hospital, when,
notwithstanding every medical attention, she was dis-
charged as incurable about six weeks afterwards, and con-
veyed home to Temple-lane, where she died on Tuesday
evening last. The house surgeon of the hospital stated
the nature of the injuries, and as no blame appeared to be
attributable to the driver of the cart, the jury returned a
verdict of " Accidental death," with a deodand of 10s.
on the machine.

COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.—The following notices of
motions, at the next meeting of the Council, have been
placed on the books by Mr. North :—" That the fine
picture of the Crucifixion, on the Town-hall staircase,
considering its sacred character, is very inappropriately
placed there, and that it be presented to some church, and
that a committee of three be now appointed to inquire
and report their opinion in what church it would be most
properly and suitably placed." " That a standing com-
mittee be now appointed for the more effective regulation
and management of the ferries, ferry-boats, and landing
places, and that it be also an especial instruction to such
committee forthwith to inquire and report their opinion
as to the necessity and propriety of promoting, by all
means within the power of this Council, the establish-
ment, by act of parliament, of an efficient inspectorship
of all steam-boats carrying passengers, with a view to
their greater security and seaworthiness, and that such
inquiry do also extend to the means which exist of carry-
ing out that object, either by a general bill to be brought
in by government, if they are disposed to do so, or, fail-
ing that, by some local enactment for Liverpool, to be
induced, if practicable, in the pending Deck Bill."

SCHEME FOR THE ERECTION OF FIVE HUNDRED
SCHOOLS.—It will be seen, from an advertisement in our
columns to-day, that the Scotch scheme for erecting 500
schools in connexion with the Free Church of Scotland
is to be explained and advocated here this evening. In
the midst of so much doing in the way of church build-
ing by the friends of the Free Church, aryl while slack-
ing nothing, but rather exceeding their former efforts in
support of missions, it is certainly an extraordinary
feature in benevolent enterprise to propose the erection,
in addition, of 500 schools. And although not more,
perhaps, than might be expected from Scotchmen righte-
ously alive to the blessing of a sound Christian education
to the rising youth in Scotland, it is gratifying to learn
that, in the course of only a few months, Mr. M'Donald,
the founder and highly-gifted advocate of the scheme,
should have succeeded in obtaining subscriptions to the
amount of £30,000. It shows that the old spirit of
Scotland, though long repressed, is far from being extinct,
and will once more rise with the freedom of her church
and yet occupy the land. As a noble effort in a great and
vital cause it may well stand side by side with the Con-
gretionalists' scheme to:raise £lOO,OOO, and that of the
%esleyans to raise £300,000 in England.
THE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION.—Last Tuesday
.even-
ing Wm. Sturgeon, Esq. delivered the first of a series of
lectures on electricity, a subject of which he is perhaps
the most competent master in the present day; and he is
also most happy in his illustrations of it, generally ren-
dering the subject so simple as to be comprehended by the
most illiterate. Some years ago Mr. Sturgeon was in-
duced to give a series of lectures on this subject in his
native village, and his electrical discoveries not only excited
wonder and astonishment, but a considerable amount of
doubt, which, however, he took the liberty of proving by
experiments which will never be forgotten. Since that
period his discoveries have been given to the world in
several popular periodicals, and have placed the author at
the top of the tree as a national philosopher, an eminent
and skilful mechanic, a practical chemist, and a thorough
electrician. There is a singularity also with respect to
the education of this really learned gentleman, not cer-
tainly in language, but in the sciences ; he is self-taught,
and is one of a number of young men who have elevated
themselves by perseverance and industry from the most
humble classes of society. One from the same neigh-
bourhood is now a rector and rural dean in this diocese ;
two are learned professors at Cambridge, and the reader
must go to the lectures of Mr. Sturgeon to ascertain his
abilities and attainments, and he will leave it proud of a
country which can produce such eminent men of plebian

origin.

THE HEA D-CONSTABLESH Ir.—On Saturday the Watch
Committee met, at the Parish-office, Fenwick-street, for
the purpose of receiving the report of the sub-committee
appointed, on that day three weeks, to investigate the
testimonials of the fifty-four candidates who had offered
themselves for the situation of Head-constable and Super-
intendent of the Fire Police of the borough. Mr. James
-Lawrence, the chairman of the committee, presided on
the occasion, and read the report of the sub-committee;
from which it appeared, that, after a careful examination
of the claims of the respective parties, they had come to
the determination of recommending the general commit-
tee to make their selection from the three following candi-
dates :—Mr. Miller, Captain Whitty, and Mr. Shepperd.
Those three gentlemen were accordinely called in and
examined ; and, from their answers and testimonials, it
appears that Mr. Miller bas been acting as the Superin-
tendent of the Glasgow Police for the last eight years,
and during that time has repeatedly afforded abundant
evidence of the soundness of his judgment, as well as of
the firmness and determination of his character. His
knowledge of the criminal law is extensive. Captain
Whitty was in the army for a period of thirteen years;
and, during the latter part of that period, he served as an
adjutant and Captain. After his retirement from the
army, he acted as assistant to Captain Moorson, for two
or three years, in the construction of the Birmingham
and Gloucester Railway, and, for the last two years and
a half, he has conducted the secretaryship of the London
Colonial Association. Mr. Shepperd was formerly in the
army, and has been Assistant-Chief-Constable in the
County Constabulary since its original formation, four
years ago. He is brother-in-law to Captain Woodford,
the chief of the County Constabulary. After the candi-
dates had withdrawn from the room, the committee en-
tered into a long and animated discussion of their merits,
some expressing their feelings in favour of Mr. Miller
and some in favour of Captain Whitty ; and, we believe,
that the choice will eventually lie between these two
gentlemen. The committee adjourned without making
the appointment, but they agreed to meet specially on
Tuesday, (this day) for the purpose of coming to some
definite resolution on the subject.
THE POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY.—At the meeting held
at the Royal Institution for the present month, John
Grantham, Esq., president, in the chair, Mr. Lord read
a very interesting paper " On the Propulsion of Steam-
boats." He entered into a number of scientific details
relative to the comparative properties of marine and loco-
motive rail engines, shewing that the principle, as regarded
the stroke of the engine, the velocity, and the periphery
of the wheel, assimilated in both. The most important
point in steam vessels was the surface propulsion. He
noticed the numerous schemes that had been brought for-
ward to get rid of the backwater, most of which had failed;
and was of opinion that the greater the extent of surface
water acted upon by the square of the floats, the greater
would be the saving of steam. He exhibited a model of
a screw-propeller (a worm round a cylinder,) and explained
its properties in action, at various angles or pitches of the
screw ; showed the operation of the repelling forces, and
his opinions werelin favour of the paddle wheel over the
screw, so far as he had yet witnessed the operation of the
latter. lie instanced the vessel called the " Liverpool
Screw," fitted up by and on the principle of the chairman
of that meeting ; and doubted the accuracy of some facts
that had been stated with respect to her speed, as compared
with her engine power, giving the calculations on which
the result would be alone truly resolved. An interest-
ing discussion ensued, in which several gentlemen took ,
part, including the president, who satisfactorily showed
that the lecturer was under a mistake as to the calcula-
tions made by him in a former paper with regard to the
performances of " The Liverpool screw,"—they being
precisely made on the data laid down by Mr. Lord him_
self. The latter gentleman still expressed himself not
quite satisfied with the explaination given, contending
that the identical paddle-boats which had been beaten by
the " screw" should be measured, as to tonnage, steam
much might be said
power, fulcrum of propeller, Sze. Several gentlemen
present who took an interest in the subject expressed
their respective opinions; and as it appeared to be one on
whichef r e (aa
b e remarked)
generally
arrived at, and,
moreover, as Mr. Booth proposed to read a paper on
bst the
conclusionchai chairman
nld
locomotives in April that would, no doubt, through
further light upon the subject, it was finally proposed by
Mr. Cunningham, and agreed, that a committee of five
gentlemen (named) should be appointed to investigate the
respective merits of the paddle-wheel and the screw, and
should hereafter report to the society thereon,—it being
understood that the report should be open to discussion
on a future evening. We entertain no doubt but that, on
the subject being again brought forward, the proceedings
will be highly interesting to nautical men and others in-
terested
in the advancement of steam navigation.
TR IDUTE OF RESPECT.--On Friday last, the inhabi-
tants of Tottington and the neighbourhood presented Mr.
Charles Maguire with a purse for the puichase of a lever
watch, hearing the following inEeription—" Presented to
Mr. Charles Maguire, by the inhabitants of Tottington,
as a testimonial and mark of recpeet for the praiseworthy
discharge of his (letile, whilst Sergeant of Police in that
neighbourhood."

TESTIMONIAL.—On Friday evening last a tea meeting
was held, at the school-room of the 11;deprndent Chapel,
Hamilton-square, Woodside, when the members and
congregation connected with that place united in present-
ing their esteemed pastor, the Rev. W. °Manion, seith a
work, comprising the whole of the published series of the
congregational lectures.
DEAD BODY FOUND.—About four o'clock on Sunday
afternoon the dead body of a man was found in one of the
moss pits between Wavertree and Chi'dwell. The trousers
were torn on the left leg, and the deceased was without a
hat. He had in his pocket a thimble and two buttons.
There is the scar of an old cut on the chin, which gives
to the face a somewhat remarkable appearance. The
body lies at Mr. Bibby's Lamb and Flag Inn, Wavertree,
awaiting the coroner's inquest.
LIVERPOOL TOWN MISSION.—On Tuesday the annual
meeting of this society was held at the Commercial Hall,
Gloucester-street, and was most numerously attended.
The meeting was addressed by the Revs. Wettenbury,
Archer, &c. The report detailed at considerable length
the labours of the several agents during the past year, and
the scenes they had each witnessed. One of the agents,
in the written record he was accustomed to keep of his
daily experience, stated that he had found the cellars and
garrets of the poor deluged with deistical and infidel pub-
lications ; and another gave an account of an interview ha
had had with a boatman on the canal, in the course of
which it appeared that the latter had never before heard
of Jesus Christ. The report next proceeded to state that
the 17 agents had made, during the year, 71,455 visits to
the houses of the poor, of which 15.685 consisted of visits
to the sick and dying. They had distributed. on loan,
97,593 religious tracts, and lent 3203 books from their loan
libraries. They had been instrumental in persuading pa-
rents to send 1416 children to school; and they had held
3525 meetings, in rooms and dwelling-houses, for reading
the Scriptures, exhortation, and prayer, which meetings
had been attended by 104,424 persons. They bad also
held 252 open air meetings, at which 45,506 persons
attended ; and they had induced 173 individuals to sub-
scribe for Bibles. They had under their superintendence
7 schools, in which 573 children and 176 adults were under
instruction ; and they hoped their labours had been blessed
to the spiritual benefit of many besides. During the year
422 deaths had occurred ; 100 had joined different Chris-
tian Churches, and were walking consistently with the
Gospel ; others were either too infirm to leave their
homes, or too unwilling to attend any other meetings but
those held in their immediate neighbourhoods ; and 359
persons, who fo.rnerly neglected public worship, had been
induced to attend it, and were, more or less, reformed
characters at present. The agents had distributed bread,
meal, potatoes, coals, and warm clothing, of the value of
about £BO, but this was from a separate fnnd, supplied by
benevolent individuals for relieving the poor and needy.
CASE OF GREAT DISTRESS.—We regret to state the
appeal recently made in the newspapers in behalf of a de-
serving medical man and his family has not yet produced
the desired effect, owing, we doubt not, to the circum-
stances of the case, which is one of great destitution, not
being sufficiently known to excite the sympathy of the
humane. We. theeefore, revert to the subject in the hope
that this will meet theeyes of those who are ever prepared to
devote a small portion of their means to the relief of the
truly unfortunate, who have, in the chances and changes
of life, fallen into want and destitution, from causes
over which they had no control, and which in no degree
affect their moral character. The subject of our solicitude
was educated at Edinburgh, where he took the degree of
M.D., and received other professional honours, showing
that be pursued his studies with much ardour, and honour
to himself. In early life he practiced for several years in
Port Antonio, Jamaica, with great success ; but having
lost his health returned to his native country, and for
many years pursued his vocation with equal credit, in
Edinburgh, Preston, and other towns, though, from the
superabundance of competition, with but moderate pecu-
niary advantage, much of his time being occupied in cha-
ritable attendance on the poor. Finally, he came to this
town in hones of retrieving his circumstances, but be-
coming straitened with a wife and young family, he and
they have long been reduced to the verge of absolute want,
and advanced as he now is in life, his gathering misfor-
tunes have deeply depressed his spirits and affected his
health. His surgical instruments and other valuable ar-
ticles were necessarily pledged to keep his family from
famishing ; and, finally, his household articles were sold
for the rent of his humble dwelling. His patient and
silent endurance of his privations indicates a fortitude that
entitles him a greater degree of sympathy than ordinary
sufferers. He and his whole family, also, lately suffered
severely from sickness, and we add, with additional pain,
that they have not even a bed to lie on. The writer of
this knew him for some years when he resided in Preston,
where he was highly respected, both for his talents and
his private worth. When we add that he is in possession
of several testimonials (over a number of years, and up to
the present time) from medical gentlemen in this and other
towns, who have long known and respected him, we trust
we need add nothing more to induce the more fortunate to
the exercise towards him of that first of Christian virtues
—charity, in order to enable him to merge from his ob-
scurity, and again become a useful member of society.
We need but intimate in conclusion, that he is desirous
of any employment in his profession, medically or surgi-
cally ; that he would feel grateful for the most moderate
amount in return for his exertions ; and that we entertain
no doubt both from his ability and experience, he would
be found a most serviceable assistant to any professional
gentleman who might employ him. Any further informa-
tion that may be required will be afforded at the office of
this paper ; and we shall be glad to acknowledge and hand
over any sums that may be left with us for his relief, or
with any of the gentlemen named in the advertisement.
DEATH IN THE WORKHOUSE VAN.—On Friday, and
by adjournment on Saturday, the borough coroner and
his jury were engaged for some hours in an investigation
touching the death of a poor man named Isaac Carr, who
had been labouring under typhus fever, and who had died
in the workhouse van, while being removed from his
lodgings in St. Andrew-street, to the fever ward in Brown-
low-hill, on the night of Wednesday last. Mr. Lowndes
appeared at the inquest as solicitor to the parish. The
case, as the evidence proceeded, assumed an appearance
tending to excite an opinion first that Mr. Garthside, the
surgeon who had attended the deceased had injudiciously
advised his removal in the state lie was then in ; next that
the blame was to be attached to the vestry in not (through
their servants) finding sufficient extra covering for him in
the van, so that his death might have been accelerated by
the exposure to the extreme cold of that night, and finally
that it was the governor, Mr. Evans, who had been re-
miss in this particular. The subsequent evidence, however,
exonerated all these parties to the satisfaction of the jury,
and it appeared that death had arisen from natural causes,
the effects of which could not have been averted had he not
been removed. An outline of the principal facts will there-
fore suffice for an understanding of the case. Mr. Garthside,
in consequence of receiving a parish note, called on Vets
deceased and five others in the same home, who were ill
of typhus fever, about one o'clock on Wednesday after-
noon. He found the deceased sitting by the fire in his
usual working clothes, with symptoms of fever on him.
As the others were lying ill of the same epidemic, in an
apparenly rather more dangerous state, and the accom-
modations were wretched, he considered it would be better
for the deceased to go to the fever ward, and also the
others when they could safely be removed, and advised
him to consent, but he refused. Being still of opinion
that it would be better for themselves, as well as more
safe for their numerous neighbours, Mr. Garthside called
on Mr. Gray at the parish-office, and informed him of the
case. Mr. Gray said he had no power to compel them to
go to the fever ward, but (in the absence of the relieving
officer) sent his clerk, Mr. E. G. Williams, to visit them
and endeavour to persuade them to go—Mr. Garthside
having in the meantime written a note to the governor for
their admission. Mr. Garthside did not again see the
deceased, and was surprised to learn on the following
day that the deceased was dead, as he considered him to
be less ailing than the others. Mr. Williams visited the
deceased and the others, as desired, about seven in the
evening. He endeavoured to persuade them to go to the
ward, but the wife cf the deceased objected, and he left
them a small sum of money for their immediate necessities,
and not satisfied with this, returned to Mr. Gray, who, on
being consulted, directed him to return and leave some more
money. On his return, the female at length consented
that the deceased should be removed, and the latter, who
heard the conversation, offered no objection. Mr. Wil-
liams then immediately went to the workhouse, with Mr.
Gartbside's order, procured the van, and accompanied it
to the house. He saw the deceased removed and placed
into it. He, deceased, had on his trousers, waistcoat, and
shirt, but be was not certain as to his jacket. There
was some straw at the bottom of the van, on which he
was placed, and ti-e driver's blanket (which he called his
cloak) was wrapped round him—no part of his person was
uncovered but his face. The door of the ran was closed
and the window put up. The witness said that had he
been a-relative of his own, he would have been satisfied
with the care taken of him. On arriving at the Work-
house—only a short distance—he was found to be dead,
and lying in the position in which he had been placed.
The governor and Mr. Wilkinson went to the coroner and
gave information of the fact, which led to the inquiry. It
appeared that a short time previous to deceased's removal,
he had had a fit, but of this the parties who removed him
were not aware, nor could they medically judge whether its
remaining effects rendered it improper to remove him at
the time. Mr. Nightingall, surgeon of the Workhouse,
was, at first, of opinion that death bed arisen from con-
gestion of the lungs, coupled with inflammation of the
brain—the effect of typhus,—but on hearing the evidence
as to the fit, and also making a post mortem examination,
he decidedly thought that the attack had been one of
apoplexy ; that the deceased bad passed through the con-
vulsive state, before being put into the car, and had fallen
into a state of coma, in which he had died,—from the im-
mediate effect of the fit. He also stated, a somewhat start-
ling fact, that during twenty years' experience in the house,
it was not uncommon to find fever patients dead on open-
ing the car in which they bad been removed from their
dwellings, and this he attributed to the reluctance of pa-
tients to be removed until the disease bad made great pro-
gress. The deceased would, he thought, have died even
if he had not been removed. The governor stated, that
had additional covering been enquired for or stated to him
to be necessary, it would have been sent. He had and
should continue to do so in every case requiring it.—The
coroner, in summing up, entirely exonerated Mr. Garth-
side, for the deceased had not been removed for seven or
eight hcfurs after he saw him, and his object was a humane
one. He could not, in referring to the whole evidence,
come to any other conclusion in his own mind than that
death was caused by apoplexy ; but he did not wish to in-
fluence the minds of the jury. He suggested that if they
agreed with him, they might append to their finding a pre-
sentment that sufficient extra covering should, in such
cases, be always sent with the van, to be used or dis-
pensed with as might appear proper.—The jury returned
a verdict to the effect that the deceased died from apo-
plexy—from natural causes, and added the recornmende-,
tion suegested.—Mr. Wilkinson and the governor stsi'L
this should, in future, be strictly attended to, and the
parties left the court.