The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-10-13 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD:

GRAND MASCO SIC FESTIVAL AT BIRMENHEAD.-0/1
Wednesday, the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of
Cheshire was hel d at Birkenhead, in the Craven-rooms,
which were fitted uyefor the occasioa. The Craft Lodge
was opened in the morning, in the three degrees, by Bro-
ther Kent, W.M.,, of the Mersey Lodge, 701. Viscount
Combermere, the Grand Master, with his lady and son,
the Hon. Wellington Cotton, arrived in a special train
from Chester, deepittched by the directors for the purpose ;
and at half-past eleven, his lordship, attended by the
grand officers, enterod the lodge in procession, and opened
the Grand Lodge. 'Twenty-four lodges were represented
by deputation, and upwards of 500 brethren were present.
His lordship read letters from the Earl of Ellesmere, the
Earl of Driwnshire, Earl Shrewsbury, and. Sir Watkin
W. Wynne, regretting their inability to attend. The
ordinary business of the province was transacted, and a
vote of thanks was given to William Jackson, Esq.., for
his courtesy in sending the special train above mentioned.
A grand procession was then formed to St. Mary's Church,
where prayers were read by the Rev. A. Knox, and a ser-
mon preached by the Rev. J. Taylor, Grand Chaplain;
after which, £5O were collected in aid of the funds of the
Birkenhead Dispensary. A full cathedral musical service
was performed, and a great number of the ladies and
gentlemen of Birkenhead occupied the galleries, the
brethren being on the ground floor. Lady Combermere
and the Hon. Miss Cotton were among the congrega'ion.
The procession then returned to the Craven-rooms,
where the Grand Lodge was closed with the usual solem-
nities. The Craft Lodge was also closed down to the first
degree, and the brethren adjourned to bre her tough's, at
the Woodside Hot-I, where they sat down to a splendid
banquet. Viscount Combermere was in the chair. The
usual toasts were drunk with enthusiasm. Lady Comber-
mere and a party of ladies were present during the eaily
part of the banquet, which was afterwards conducted in
true masonic style, with closed doors. The chaplain's
sermon was so much admired. that the brethren intend
to print it for the benefit of the Birkenhead Dispensary.
SINGULAR DISCOVERY OF A RODDERY.—At our po-
lice-court, on Friday, Samuel Hickey. a sailor, was
charged with belting stolen a purse containing £5B 10s.,
the property of Henry James Royal, half-pay captain,
farmerly of the 60th foot, or Queen's Rifles. The prose-
cutor stated that he was a passenger from Quebec, on
board the Louisa, bound for Waterford. In the storm of
the 19i h. 20th, and 21st of September, while off the banks
of Newfoundland, the ship was dismasted and rendered
unmanageable. Her pitching was so violent, that every-
thing of a moveable nature was sent flying in all directi-
ons—his trunk amongst the rest ; and which, he said, was
sent to and fro along the cabin like a weaver's shuttle,
until it was broken to pieces. and the con'ents strewed
about the floor. The most valuable portion of the pro-
perty—a small black silk bag, tied with a piece of shoe
tape, and containing £5B 10s., which he had deposited in
his trunk for safety, could not be found,although he ;rib-
liely, there and then, offered a reward of ten pounds to
any man who would produce it. On the 22d the barque
Lord Sandon fell in with the Louisa, and took off the cap-
tain, passengers, and crew, arriving in Liverpool on Wed-
nesday night last. On Friday afternoon he (the prosecu-
tor) went on board the Lord Sandon, to look after the
remnant of his property, when Policeman Grimsley asked
bim if he had lost a purse, containing money, during his
passege across the Atlantic? He replied that he had,
and was then taken to the bridewell, where he
was shown the purse and the prisoner. He at once
identified the latter as one of the sailors of the
Louisa at the time of her wreck, and also the purse
as the one he had lost. The purse, when taken
from the prisoner (who had merely been taken into
custody for drunkenness), by the Bridewell keeper, con-
taining £52 Is. Mr. Rushton determined upon sending
the case to the assizes, the offence having been committed
on the high seas ; and, upon the application of the old
and weather-beaten half-pay captain, who said he was
quite destitute, and wished to get to Carrick-on-Suir,
near Waterford, where he bad friends with whom he was
going to reside, ordered that £3O should be given to him
out of the purse for his present use. He was then bound
over to appear at the next assizes, to give evidence against
the prisoner, and told that he would have ample notice
sent to him as to when he would be wanted in Liverpool,
and that all his travelling expenses should he paid.