The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-30 00:00:00

CHORAL SOCIETY.

A Grand Concert was given on Thursday evening by
the above Society, at the Music Hall, Bold-street. The
room was well filled, and the audience appeared to ap-
predate the efforts made to please them.
The first part of the concert was a performance of
Handel's " L'Allegro it penseroso ed it moderato," the
different airs and recitatives were executed in first rate
style by the three talented vocalists, Mrs. G. Holden,
Mr. Ryalls, and Mr. Armstrong. The air and chorus,
" Haste thee Nymph," was loudly encored. The cho-
ruses through the piece were well executed and loudly
applauded.
The second part of the bill of fare was a choice selec-
tion of jems from the works of Sir H. R. Bishop, Balfe,
W. V. Wallace, &c. Balfe's beautiful duet and cho-
rus, " Country Lasses," by Messrs. Armstrong and Ryalls,
was encored. The next song, " Sleep baby, mine, by
Mrs. G. Holden, was well sung, and called for a second
time. Benett'p Madrigal, " Thyrsis, sleepest thou," gave
great satisfaction to the audience, who testified their ap-
probation by a second call for the piece. Our townsman,
Mr. Armstrong, sung J. L. Hatton's song, " Revenge"—
this was loudly applauded and encored. The concert
ended with the new National Hymn, " Queen Victoria,
God protect ;" and all departed evidently much pleased
with the even;np'p pntertamment.

THE BLUE lioox.—This is the title of a little work
written by Mr. Auty, of Bradford, and published by Mr.
ibbetson, of that town. The author states that the work
would never have been published if the author of a some-
what similar work called The Black Book, " had stated
both sides of the question fairly." Mr. Auty has done
good service in the compilation of his interesting little
work, and it deserves an extensive circulation. Wherever
the Black Book circulates, the Blue Book ought also to
he read, for the purpose of making the public thoroughly
acquainted with the true state of the case, and also to ex-
hibit the enormous amount of taxation which has been
inflicted upon this country by a government loudly pro.
owing " economy and retrenchment."

A SPECIMEN OF THE KIND OF EVIDENCE
TAKEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE
NAVIGATION LAWS.

At the meeting called in Sunderland, on Friday last, to
petition against the proposed repeal of the Navigation
Laws, Mr. Joshua Wilson, a worthy quaker of that town,
who was recently examined before the Navigation Laws
Committee, in the Lords, defended the measure, and ar-
gued that the shipbuilders of Sunderland had no reason
to fear competition. "He was proceeding," says the re-
port, " to quote the evidence of Mr. Phillips before the
House of Commons' Committee. to the effect that ships
were built in Prussia at £lO odd per ton, and the evidence
of Mr. Richmond that they could be built in Sunderland
of the same, if not a superior class, at £7 per ton ; and to
state also that he had himself had ships built for him at
this rate in Sunderland, when he was met by a general
contradiction from all parts of the room.
" Mr. Jim. Brunton and Mr. I'. B. Simey, Lloyd's sur-
vevors at the port, as well as Mr. M. Lowie, Mr. W.
Ord, and Mr. It. Brown, emphatically denied the state-
ment of Mr. Wilson as to Mr. Richmond evidence, and
that ships could be-built in Sunderland at so low a rate..
They charged Mr. Wilson with alleging before the com-
mittee of the Rouse of Lords that Mr. Richmond stated
£7 per ton as the rate in Sunderland, of both hull and
outfit, leaving out of sight that Mr. Richmond himself
had given that price fr;r the hull only, and that £3 more
would be required for the outfit, thereby imposing anon
the Lords' committee a wilful misrevresentation. They
stated also that the vessel which Mr. Wilson had bought
at the depreciated price he had mentioned to their lord-
ships had been purchased from a ship-builder on the point
of failure, and severely censured him for setting up an
isolated instance of this kind, and leaving their lordships
to draw the conclusion that the average cost of the build-
ing and outfit of vessels was at this loss rate in Sunder-
land, instead of at from £lO to £l3 and upwards per ton.
" Mr. Wilson attempted, but failed, to explain to the
satisfaction of the meeting."
If this is the kind of evidence which gentlemen, pro-
fessing an especial regard for truth, are in the habit of.
palming upon parliamentary committees, the statements
in blue books and reports ought to be very lightly received
by the public.