The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-10-21 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Conservatives have gained 5j9 on the city of Lon-
don registration.
Ti e Scotch papers contain accounts of the overflowing
of the p+incipzl rivers of that country.
Dr. Boggs, the Itornish Bishop of the Western District,
died at Prior-park, near Bath, on Thursday.
A society, having for its object the protection of railway
proprietors from risk, on the principle of an insurance
society company, is advertised with a capital of £3,000,000,
in 30,000 shares of £lOO each. The title of the company
is the Railway Guarantee Societe.

At a meeting of the shareholders of the unfortunate
bank of Manchester last week, it was announced that the
liabilities have been reduced to £110:198 18s. 5d., whilst
the ultimate available assets ere £159,712 6s. sd. ; so that
short time the concern will be out of debt.
__ _

ASSAULT IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE.-At Worship-
street police court, on Friday, a man named George Gur•
ney was fined 10s. for pressing against and annoying a
married woman, in one of the second class carriages, on
the Ea,tern Counties Railway. The man was intoxicated
at the time.

The African fever has broken out at Woolwich, on
board her Majesty's steamer Growler, recently arrived
from Africa. Two men died at Woolwich infirmary on
Tuesday. Seven men took the disease on Wednesday.
It is observed that the Growler has had frequent commu-
nication with the Eclair.

The Marquis of Hertford gave a grand fete ehamperre
to nearly 3 00 of his tenantry. on Thursday last, in the
castle gardens, at Lisburn. The noble marquis presided
on the occasion, and discharged in an able manner the
hospitalities of a benevolent landlord, assisted by Captai❑
Meynell, M.P., the Dean of Ross, &c.
On Wednesday morning, one of the large brick arches
in the continuation of the Glasgow and Glenkirk railway,
now forming, gave way, and fell down with a tremendous
cras_i, whilst the workmen were at breakfast. Fortu-
nately no one was injured. Sufficient weight had not
been left on the " haunches," consequently the arch
sprung.
NEW RAILWAY PROJECTS.—The increase within the
last ten days of new railway speculations announced,
answers to a capital in round numbers of £50.000,000,
the sclirmes being about 40 in number. There had pre-
viously been advertised about 460 new railway schemes
to be brought before the Parliamentary session of 1846,
and representing a capital of nearly £500,000,000, the first
calls on which may be roughly estimated at £45,000,000.
The maddest of railway speculators, who is invulnerable
to reason and to argument, must be startled, one would
think, and pause a little at such facts !

RAIN IN 1815.—The Philnsoph cal Magazine pub-
lishes a meteorological regiater of the quantities of rain
that have fallen in each month during the present year.
From this table it appears that during the first four
months, January, February, March, and April, little
more than four inches of rain fell, whilst during the
succeeding four months of May, June, July, and August,
there were fourteen inches of rain. "February fill dike"
must henceforth lose its characier, for during this year a
smaller quantity of rain fell in that month than in any
other. The average quantity of rain in a year near London
is twenty-six inches, ai.d eighteen inches fell within the
first eieht months; and as at least three inches must have
fallen in :September, we may reasonably expect the re-
maining months of the year to be unusually dry.

THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE LETTERS OF JUNIUS
The Inverness Courier says that Sir David Brewster, who
is married to a datiehter of the late Mr. James Macpher-
son, translator of Ossian's Poems, has discovered some
letters among the papers of his father-in-law, wnich may
lead to the discovery of a great secret—the authorship of
" Junius." The person who, as Sir David thinks, may
be identified as the author, is Lachlan Maclean, the son
of an Irish Presbyterian Clereymao. hut descended from
the ancient Scottish family of the M'Cleans of Coll Ile
was bred to the study of medicine, but became a political
writer and adventurer in London, and rose to some esni-
Lence. He was once an Under-Secretary of State, in
which capacity he might baae become acquainted with
state secrete. Having been sent Out to India by Govern-
ment in 1776, he was shipwrecked and drowned on the
passage—a circumstance that ti ay account for the non-
revealment of the secret as to the authorship of "Junius."
His papers were ail lost at the same time.

THE EISTEDFODD.—This long-announced meeting
commenced at Ahergavenny on Wednesday last. Ti►e
town was completely filled with visitors, and lodgings were
as difficult to procure as they usually are on similar
oeca ions. Additional interest was given to the proceed-
iogs by the presence of Dwarkanauth Tagore, and the
Chevalier Bunsen, who had arrived in Abergavenny on
the previous Evening. Shortly before eleven o'clock the
procession to meet the president left the Sun Inn, headed
by three grenadiers, wearing huge leeks in their bear-skin
caps, and an excellent hand playing Welsh airs. Next
followed the ioh•►bitants of Abergavenny, two and two;
then a chariot containing a printing press in operation,
from which were distributed copies of the address to the
president to the. multitudes who lined the streets. More
of the Abergavenny people followed, and the rear of the
procession was brought up by another car drawn by two
horses, and containing weavers at the loom, and ex:iibiting
the national plaid.
How WE GOT UP THE GLENMUTCHICIW RAILWAY,
AND HOW WE GOT OUT OF IT.—When the time came
ror the parliamentary contest we all emigrated to London.
I still recollect, with lively satisfaction, the many plea-
sant days we spent in the metropolis at the company's
expense. There were just a neat fifty of us, and we oc-
cupied the whole of an hotel. The di-cession before the
committee was long and formidable. We were opposed
by four other companies who patronised lines, of which
the nearest was at least a hundred miles distant from Glen-
mutehkin ; but as they founded their opposition upon
dissent from " the Glenmutelikin system " generally, the
committee allowed them to be heard. We fought for
three weeks a most desperate battle, and might in the end
have been victorious, had not our antagoni€t, at the very
close of his case, pointed out no less than seventy-three
fatal error s in the parliamentary plan deposited by the
unfort.mmte Solder. Why this was not done earlier I
never exactly understood ; it may be that our opponents,
with gentlemanly consideration, were unwilling to curtail
our sojourn in London—and their own. The drama was
now fir ally closed, and, after all preliminary expenses
were paid, sixpence per share was returned to the holders
upon surrender of their scrip."—Blackwood.

GREAT IMPROVEMENT IN THE ART OF PRINTING
As everything that tends to advance the interest and in-
fluence of the " fourth estate" is, in our estimation, im-
portant to the public, we have much pleasure in calling
attention to a remarkable improvement just effected in
the printing-press by Mr. Alexander Burton, of Glasgow.
That gentlemen has invested wnat he calls the " Patent
Caledonian Printing Press," which is so constructed that
two sets of men. without hindrance to each other, can
work two distinct forms at one time—there being two
" tables," and but one " platen'," which, operating upon
the tables alternately, produces an impression from each.
One principal advantage which this press possesses over
the Columbian and other presses is, that while they are
invariably exposed to breakage, and expend nearly half
their pressure on " dead metal," it effects a saving of la-
bour, and is proof against breakage, from the fact that
the whole weight and force of the press is dependent on a
perpendicular pillar. To sum up, it. is easier wrought.
produces a finer impression, occupies less space, and is
cheaper and more durable than any other of the existing
printing-presses. Many eminent scientific and practical
gentlemen have examined the press, arid expressed them-
selves in terms of the greatest satisfaction.
WEST INDIAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY.—The
annual meeting of this company was held last week. The
company has eleven fine-built steam ships, of 1400 tons
and 450-horse power each, besides two of 909 tons and
300-horse power each, and three schooners, for casual
transit from the differ ent islands. Should the negociations
be completed that are being carried on for the scheme of
forming a communication across the Isthmus of Panama,
from Chagres to that port, so as to connect the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans, by means of a railway, plans and
estimates of which are at present in London and Par s.
and every probability of being carried out by the formation
of a joint company. a moat beneficial opening to the
commercial and minine interest in Chili and the whole
line of the South Pacific will be accomplished, as there
will be a regular communication established by the South
Pacific Steam Navigation Company. from Valparaiso to
Panama and Lima, and by the Royal West India Steam
Packets to and from Chagres and Scuthampton. A new
era is issuing forth in South America, which, in a few
years hence, will render that portion of the new world,
once under the despotism of Spain, one of the most
flourishing parts of the globe, by the general adoption of
railways, and the benefits of steam intercourse with
Europe. In our West India Islands, Jamaica, Barbadoes.
&c., the benefits of railways are beginning to be duly
appreciated, as well as in the Havana. and even in Mexico,
a line is being established, as well as in the Brazils, which,
in all probability, will lead to the formation of a road
being established across the Cordilleras to Santiago, the
capital of the republic of Chili, opening a grand inter-
coursa between the two seas, in-tead of going round Cape
Horn. A railway is projected from Valparaiso to Santiago.
which will be of great importance to that great commercial
port.—Mining Journal.
SUPERSTITION.—A singular trial took place at Tain
on Monday last, showing that superstition is not yet
wholly dispelled. William Grant, a fisherman of Port-
mahomack, conceiving that the wife of Walter Munro,
a fisherman there, possessed the power of witchcraft, and
that her supernatural influence was directed against him-
self. went into her husband's house on the 3d August last,
and with his pocket-knife deliberately inflicted a deep
gash on his forehead. The prisoner admitted the assault,
but stated that he considered himself justified on account
of the provocation he bad received. The prosecutor re-
fused to accept such a plea, and the case went to trial,
when the jury found Grant guilty, and be was sentenced
to three months' imprisonment in Dingwall gaol. The
declaration made before the sheriff by the prisoner was
a very curious and original statement. He attributed the
loss of his new nets and the want of success in the her-
ring fishery to the woman's " dark dealings in sorcery,"
and the rest of the crew were not willing to go out with
him while be was under the curse of the witch! In con-
sequence of this, he took the opportunity, on the night in
question, to cut her " above the breath," believing that
with the first drop of blood brought out by such a pro-
cess the devil would come out along with it, and that the
woman would be deprived of the power of harming him !
It would seem that a superstitious notion of this sort is
prevalent among the Highland people ; but the " cut" is
generally made by a pin or needle. In the absence of
these, the prisoner used his knife, by which there was an
effusion of blood for several hours, until the doctor ar-
rived from Tain, and also confinement to bed for five
weeks. The sheriff addressed the prisoner at considerable
length, in which he dwelt on the recklessness of his con-
duct in assaulting an old woman who was unable to defend
herself; and also exposing the groundless superstition
which prompted him to ouch an act of cruelty.—lnver-
nolo Courier.

MILNER'S FIRE - RESISTING SU?s,S.--PAE-
VENTION OF EXPLOSIONS OF GUN-POW—
DER IN FIRES.

We have edpeatedly had occasion to recommend to
all who are interested in the preservation of manuscript
books, deeds, or other valuable documents from fire, the
patent fire resisting boxes and safes invented and manu-
factured by Messrs. Milner and Son, of this town ; and
the principle has been so extensively tested, both experi-
mentally and in " practical" instances of intense "acci-
dental" fires, that a recapitulation of its peculiar and un-
failing adaptation for the purpose were altogether super-
fluous. Some time ago, in referring to the melancholy
explosion on board the " Camperdown." we also noticed,
in terms of great commendation, the efficient application
of the invention to the construction of magazines, or safes,
whether on shore or on shipboard, for the lodgment of
gun-powder,---its operation, in the event of the encase-
ment coming in contact with fire, being so to moisten or
saturate the powder, by the steam gradually evolved from
the internal chambers, at high temp-ratures, that the be-
fore explosive material is converted into a doughy mass,
in:gni-able by the common chemical action of heat, so
that even in the event of the magazine itself being burnt
away, its powers as an explosive are entirely annihilated.
This tact has been incontrovertibly proved in Liverpool,
Sheffield, and many other towns, to the great astonish-
ment and satisfaction of numerous scientific gentlemen
who witnessed those severe tests. We anticipated, at the
time, that the advantages of the principle would ere long
become known and appreciated, not only by owners of
merchant vessels carrying muni'iors of war, but by her
Majesty's governmen,, who would avail themselves of it,
many of our national fleet having, from time to time, been
destroyed, together with the lives of their crews, by
explosions while in action, or by accidental fire. We
therefore feel great gratification in stating that the
guardians of the public weal have at leneth taken up the
subject with a view to the prevention of a recurrence of
such disasters. Me-srs. Milner's have received a com-
munication, dated Committee of Metals Office, Admiralty,
Somerset House, 10th instant, requesting to be furnished
with copies of anti• accounts of the interesting experiments
that had taken place with these sales, together with
information as to where one of them could be obtained
in London, in order " to make some experiments con-
nected with the naval service." Mr. Milner has since had
several interviews at the Admiralty, and is furnishing
estimates for powder magazines for her Mijesty's ships
of war. We doubt not bet that the adaptation of the
principle, as affording protection from the casual ignition
of that most dangerous of explosive compounds—gun
powder—will thus be fu'ther confirmed, so that no vessel
in the service will hereafter be placed in danger by fire
near or about the spot where it is deposited. Messrs.
Milner's invention as applied to magazines includes, by
an additional outward casing, protection against ignition
of the mass, through stray particles of gunpowder falling
outside, on its being deposited in the main case ; and in
the absence of fire it presents the additional advantage of
preserving it from accidental wet or moisture, so that our
gallant tars, although effectual provision be made for
quenching fire when it comes, may still keep their
powder dry.

LONDON GAZETTE.--TUESDAY, OCT. 9,