The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-03-25 00:00:00

ake, for ex

Albert Do

nded- over to th
more than half of what cot

for it from priv

ses bas

3 been lavis

good roa

s and other accomni.odtion for the com-
acted to our docks. It is not, therefore,

erce att

ion as our contemporary su

estate which. whatever

as the form of its

.Ll4l property, and be
managed by " commercial men," irrespective of
any permanent connexion with the interests and
the property of the town. There is every reason,
on the - --kv such an interest in the pros,
Per'

pure

should be a sine qua non of the
e in whose hands are intrusted the

ty of the town
fitness of tho

management of an estate so important.
Ns a proof that such should be the case, we need
hack further than to the ill-judged policy of
lv commercial portion of the Dock Corn-
rds the shipbuilding trades of the

Bit by hit they went on frittering away our
,ard, and driving these trades from pillar to
post, until, at length, we have made the sad dis-
covery that not a single efficient site is available
for them. In a few years, unless some powerful
effort is made, we shall not have within the port
the means of repairing a ship. Such a mistake
could scarcely have occurred had the Dock Com-
- days contained a little more of the
tradesman elements.

mitten in tilos

lartne

le Times treats—as affording very strong grcund
for an alteration in the constitution of the. Dock
Trust—the circumstances given in evidence by Mr.
Bramley-Moore, that " not less than forty out of
ty-four members of the Town Council who
govern this trust are not even dock rate-payers ;"
and further, fifty-three of those trustees are in fa-
your of making the Dock Estate contribute to the
local burthens. With respect to the first of these
objections, it is, we dare say, true that forty mem-
bers of the Council are not, directly, payers of rates.
But it does not follow that they are not indirectly
large payers, and deeply interested in the commerce
and property of the port, which are liable to be
favourably or otherwise affected by the good or bad
management of the Dock Estate. The fact of pay-
ing ten or twenty pounds annually of dock rates is
neither a guarantee of the possession of intellect or
hgnesty, although that fact presupposes the exist-
ence of a motive for making dangerous reductions
in the rates in question. We Should not expect to

the si

see a property like our Dock Estate, in the hands
of such men, managed with any comprehensive
regard to a large increase of commerce in prospect,
or the works constructed by them of a very dura-
ble nature. A patching and niggardly economy,
and a systematic slurring over of the wants of the
hour, would be more likely to characterise the
management of such a body, Moreover, it is an
established truth, that some of the most valuable
members of the Dock Committee have been gen-
tlemen who probably never in their lives either
loaded or dischaged a vessel in the port. With
respect to the proposal to rate the docks, we have
already given our opinion, that in the present state
of activity of the enemies of both our great public
estates, both at home and in other localities, this
question might be dropped with advantage. That
an overwhelming majjsrity of the burgesses, how-
ever, are satisfied of the justice of the proposal is
admitted by the Times and Mr. Bramley-Moore.
By the bye, it is singular to remark how unpopular
the Reformed Corporation of Liverpool has become
in the eyes of the authors and promoters of that
measure, since the constituencies ceased to believe
in the absolute wisdom of the Whig-Radical party.
But there is another and very strong argument
in favour of the policy of maintaining the manage-
ment of the Dock Estate in the hands of a body
like the present trustees. There is, unfortunately,
a heavy debt owing by the estate. The hardly-
earned savings of many a family, the sole depend-
ence of many a widow and orphan, are invested
upon the security of the Dock Committee. At pre-
sent these parties may be considered as in some
measure represented by the members whom their
votes, and those of their friends, return to the
Council Chamber. Take away this source of secu-
rity ; place the managemeLt of the Dock Estate
exclusively in the hands of the dock ratepayers,
many of whom have no permanent interest in the
prosperity and the property of the town, and what
will be the inevitable result ? Although the ex•
ample of Birkenhead is before our eyes, we scarcely
anticipate that anything like repudiation will be
attempted; but of this we are very certain, that
before five years shall have passed over, we shall
have effectually got rid of all surplus income, as
applicable to reduction of rates. The amount of
the bonded debt is at present little short of four
millions and a-half sterling. This amount, we
believe, has been borrowed at an average rate of
interest of four per cent. Withdraw the trust from
its present hands, and thus weaken the confi •ence
of capitalists, and as soon as the present bonds
run out, for every shilling of the debt we shall have
to pay fire per cent., thus entailing a loss of income
amounting to upwards of £40,000 per annum. We
may, indeed, to some extent, protect the revenue
of the trust by pledging the Corporate Estate as
collateral security, as in the case of the money bor-
rowed for the Riviagton works; but the burgesses,
we fancy, would not be very well satisfied to wit-
ch a step. We therefore beg earnestly to
call the attention of the bondholders to their
real position and danger. They may find them
even worse than we have dared to paint them.

WE believe there can be no doubt of the proba-
bility that the works and property on the site of
the Wallasey Pool will, before long, by an amicable
bargain, become the property of the Dock Trustees
of Liverpool. The desirableness of such an ar-
rangement was, we learn, strongly pressed upon
the parties, whilst engaged in London, as calculated
to settle all existing difficulties, and to unite in one

_
powerful bond every interest of, what will then be-
come, the port of the Mersey. Of course we can
offer no definite information as to the terms upon
which the arrangement is likely to be completed.
The negotiations, however, which are going on be-
tween the parties interested have, we understand,
been entered upon on both sides in the best possi-
ble spirit, and with a full view of arriving at a satis-

fancy that our remarks last week must have

satisfied the Manchester Guardian that, under our
present system of free trade, we were much more
r to experience a range of prices below the
•nt rates, ruinous as they are to the British
than to incur much risk of a scarci

ty, as

the result of the present low rates. The only dan-
ger of such scarcity, in fact, is that which the ad-
vocates of Protection have always referred to as
likely to attend a decreased growth of grain at
home, and a consequent increased dependence upon
the foreigner, viz : a war of tariffs, or a state of
actual warfare, such as that through which we had
to pass during the opening years of the present
century. The necessity of providing for the latter
emeraency was admitted by Lord John Russell

himself dilling the debate upon the navy estimates,
in which he advocated the maintenance of a full
naval force in order to secure ourselves against any
possible interruption of our supplies of foreign
food. _ _

We have this week, amongst the puzzled apolo-
gists for low prices of grain, the London Times.
Strange that the most active parties in " bulling"
the corn market—to use a Stock Exchange phrase—
should be the men who have most strongly de-
claimed upon the blessings of a cheap loaf ! The
Times, in imitation of other free-trade doctors,
treats the imports of flour into this country from
France as an exception to the general rule of
that country. France, he says, has had a succes-
sion of abundant harvests since the year 1847.
Her home consumption has also been interrupted
by the insecure state of society following the revo-
lutionary period. The result of the present low
prices, he predicts, will be that the cultivation of
wheat will be very extensively superseded by that
of green crops ; and he informs us that " in the
district of La Brie, which principally supplies Paris
with wheat, large tracts have been sown with rape,
and in other quarters increased attention has been
given to cattle."
Admitting that the harvests in France have been
good during the past three years, any intelligent
corn merchant will satisfy our contemporary that
our large imports of flour from France are not so
much the result of extraordinary harvests as of a
complete change in the position of the agriculturists
of that country, directly resulting from our free-
trade policy. The northern departments of France
have always furnished the chief sources of the sup-
ply of grain for that country. These departments
are now nearer to the English markets than to the
interior markets of France. We have received their
supplies as a matter of course ; and shall continue
to do so. Moreover, we may expect that, as long
as we furnish the agriculturists in these depart-
ments with profitable markets, they will increase
their production of breadstuffs for our use. In the
south of France, the port of Marseilles has become
the great depot of the grain of the Mediterranean ;
and, after paying the existing rates of duty, it is
found that the population of the southern and
be more cheaply supplied

central

.r.g,yptian, Russian, and other wheat, than
they have been whilst drawing their chief supplies
from the northern departments. France, as a
whole, has not therefore to depend, under our
recent legislation, upon her own harvests alone,
but upon that of the Niediterranean in addition.
She has also this important advantage that, whilst
sending us her supplies in the shape of superfine flour
—and a very cursory examination of the quality
which she sends us ought to satisfy any impartial
man that such is her chief export—she is enabled
to retain for the consumption of her own population
the whole of her " seconds" flour, which makes an
excellent household bread, and the feeding stuffs—
thirds, bran, &c. The former of these will furnish
an excellent substitute for the " maize, rye, buck-
wheat, and chestnuts (.9" upon which the Times
informs us that "a large portion of the community
in the central and southern departments subsist."

ALLEGED CONCEALMENT OE BIUTH.—A young woman.
whose name is Mary Ann Price, and whose friends are
persons of respectable station in the town, is at present
lying at the Main-bridewell in a state which prevents her
being removed. The young person referred to took lodg-
ings at a house in Rose-court, Rose-place, kept by a
person named Mottershead, about seven weeks ago. She
appeared to be unwell on last Friday fortnight, and Mrs.
Mottershead assisted her to bed, and made her tea and
other restoratives. She continued, however, to get worse,
and her sister-in-law was sent for, who charged her with
having delivered herself of an infant, to which the girl at
first gave a denial. She ultimately, however, confessed
that the charge was true, and pointed to a trunk, the key
of which she handed to her relative, who unlocked the
trunk at once, and discovered something wrapped up in a
white pocket-handkerchief. She, however, was too much
excited to unfold the wrapper. Mr. Hannah, the surgeon,
who had visited her or.ce before, was again sent for on
Friday. last, when he found that the parcel spoken of con-
tained the body of a full-grown female child. The un-
fortunate girl was at once apprehended, and lodged in
bridewell, and would have been brought before Mr.
Rushton yesterday had the state of her health permitted.
An inquest was, however, held on the body of the infant,
at which Mr. Hannah, having made a post mortem exa-
mination, stated that the child was still-born. A verdict
in accordance with the evidence was.returned.

INTERESTING DISCOVERY OF AN ANCIENT
JEWISH TRIBE IN CHINA.

By a recent communication, addressed from Shanghae,
China, to H. J. Webster, Esq., of this town, honorary treasurer
of the Liverpool Jews' Society, we have the interesting intelli-
gence of a Jewish community having been discovered at Kae-
fung-foo, a large walled city, the capital of the province of
Honan, distant from Shanghae about 520 miles. The discovery
appears to have been brought about throlgli the means of a
lady in this country—an ardent friend of the race of Israel—
Miss Cook, who had heard that, about 150 years ago, the Jesuit
missionaries in China had reported their having met with a
number of Jew• in the interior of China, living apart from the
native population, and observing the ancient customs and form
of worship of their nation. Miss Cook, feeling greatly interested
in the matter, placed a sum of £3OO in the hands of Dr.
Smith, the Lord Bishop of Victoria, to be expended in endea-
vouring to discover the tribe in question.
Dr. Smith accordingly visited Shanghae in October, 1850,
and made arrangements with two young moo, attached to the
Protestant missions there, to undertake the search. This was
completely successful, and the Jews were found at the place
described by the Jesuit missionaries. They were about 200 in
number, and principally women. They had been without a
Rabbi for about 50 years ; and had become unable to read their
Hebrew works, of which they possessed several, chiefly por-
tions of the Sacred Writings. Eight of these works were pur-
chased from them, and brought away; and it is anticipated
that they will furnish important confirmation of the authority
of the Sacred Writings. It was the opinion of a Jew from
Bagdan, resident in Shanghae, that the paper on which these
are written is Persian—certainly not Chinese; and the im-
pression has, therefore, been created that these people must
have originally come from Judea to Persia, and across the
country eastward to their present locality in China, which is
in latitude N. 34. 52. 05—longitnile 114. 35.
They are in great poverty, a distinct people, and looked down
upon even by their neighbours, the Mabomedans. Their
synagogue, which hears all the marks of former splendour, is
now in ruins; and they have lately been compelled to sell a part
of the ground belonging to it for the use of the Buddists, whose
temples abound and are increasing in the district. They have
no idols in their synagogue; but several tablets and writings
on the walls, both in Chinese and Hebrew. They have also,
in addition to the hooks purchased, several scrolls of con-
siderable length, and carefully preserved. From the copies
made of some of the tablets and writings, it would appear that
the tribe have been residents in their present locality since a
short period previous to the birth cf our Saviour. They dress
as Chinese, wear tails, and have their hears shaved ; but,
when in the aynag,o,s,,ne, wear shoes and caps of blue colour.
Kae-fung-foo, the city in which they reside, is a very ancient
I place, and bears marks of great former splendour. The pro-
vince in which it is situated is estimated to contain 23 millions
of population, or an average of 420 inhabitants to the square
mile. _ _ _

1 he travellers sent to discover these Jews were permitted to
enter the "Holy of Holies," from which polluted feet are not
now debarred. A century ago the Jesuit missionaries were
strictly excluded from this part of the synagogue ; but time and
poverty since then have wrought great dilapidations both of the
building itself and of the character of its owners. They have
had, as before stated, no Rabbi for 50 years, and there is not
one of them in the present day who can read a word of
Hebrew. They have even discontinued the practice of circum-
cision, and it is conceived that in a dozen or more years, not a
trace of the Igraelitish religion will there be found. It is to be
hoped, as indeed it is also to be trusted, that means will be
afforded to these poor people of learning the truths of a newer
dispensation.

AN ANTI-NATIONAL PROCEEDING

The following announcement, which we extract from a

conten

orary, is rather startling

• - -
" Serjeant Adams, the assistant jurlge of the Middlesex ses-
sions, stated from the bench last week, that the court had de-
termined to pass, in every proved case of pocket-picking at
the exhibition, or in the park during its continuance, a sen-
tence of nine mmAlis' hard labour ; and, wlym.e it was found
that such offenders had been previously convicted, the punish-
ment would be transportation. The learned judge added that
the period of the exhibition would be long enough to allow him
to judge of the effect of this policy, and, if it should prove in-
effectual, there would be more than one opportunity of in-
creasing its rigour."

Surely the learned serjeant will never be so cruel to the
native pickpocket as thus to hand over his long-looked-for

harvest to the foreigner! The threatened proceeding,
however, would only be of a piece with all our present
free-trade policy. We are sacrificing the honest industry
of the country on the altar of cheapness ; and why not
give a monopoly to the foreign pickpoPket ? Our own
practitioners in this line are not nearly such interesting
personages as the Continent can supply us with. To be
eased of little superfluities by gentlemen sporting mous-
taches or beards, a la jeune France, will be delightful.

On Sunday last, sermons were preached in St. John
the Evangelist's Church, in aid of the Endowment Fund
for the new church in Crown-street. In the morning,
by the Rev. Drummond Anderson, and in the evening,
by the Rev. F. Barker. The sum of £27 was collected.
FATALITY AT THE DOCKS. - A shiplceeper, name
Hennessey, who resided in Crow-street, Stanhope-street,
was, on Friday. going on board the " Harmony," lying
in the Stanley Dock, for the purpose of keeping watch,
when one of the planks of the stage, leading from the
vessel to the quay, gave way, and he was precipitated into
the water; his body was not recovered for upwards of
three hours. _

SUDDEN DEATHS.—On Wednesday evening, Mr. Ed.
Roberts, master saddler, residing at the corner of Lower
Harrington and Pleasant-hill-streets, expired suddenly
after a severe attack of vomiting and purging, induced by
intoxication.—On Friday last, Patrick Darcy, an Irish
labourer, thirty-six years old, was found dead in bed at
his lodgings in Oak-place. Deceased had also been
greatly addicted to habits of drunkenness.
NEW LIVE-BOAT.—Messrs. White, of Cowes, have
recently constructed a life-boat on a new principle, which
they have presented to the Broadstairs Commissioners,
for the purpose of being used in any cases of emergency
which may occur on the Goodwin Sands. An opportu-
nity presented itself at the early part of the present
month for testing the seaworthy qualities of this life-boat.
A large brig was seen on shore on the Goodwin Sands at
an early hour on the morning of the 6th instant. The
sea was most terrific, and the boats which put off to her
assistance could not be brought within such a distance of
the wreck as to be of any use. The Broadstairs life-boat
then went out, manned by eight young men, who suc-
ceeded in saving seven out of the ten persons composing
the crew of the brig : indeed, the entire crew might have
been rescued had not the three referred to refused to
leave the wreck. _

AN EXTENSIVE STOMACH.-Our contemporary the
Liverpool Times is rather amusing in his comments upon
some extracts which we gave last week from the New
York Courier and Enquirer. We shall not, however,
trouble our readers with more than one of his notions.
The Times recommends gravely that Brother Jonathan
should at once blow out his iron furnaces, and break up
his cotton machinery, in order to devote his sole attention
to the raising of food for the British market. "There is
no reason," he says, " why the inexhaustible wealth of
the hills and vallies of America should remain unde-
veloped. Develope it in the form of bread, cheese, beef,
and bacon, and England will find stomachs for it alt."
This is, surely, drawing rather largely upon our credulity.
How the inhabitants of this little island are to swallow
the bread, cheese, beef, and bacon, of an entire continent,
passes our comprehension. We have quite difficulty
enough in getting through our present stocks, without
withdrawing our Transatlantic brethren from the
the mine, and the loom, to grow more for us. The
prices, too, likely to follow such an extension of pro-
duction would not, we are afraid, be very remunerative.
GOLD IN AMERICA.—An immense treasure, in the
shape of virgin gold, has recently been discovered, as we
learn from a perfectly trustworthy source, in the state of
Delaware. The chimney of a house upwards of a hun-
dred years old required repairing ; while the work was in
process 'the negroes who were employed, from the re-
markable appearance presented by the bricks, expressed
their conviction, to the master, that gold in considerable
quantities was contained in the clay of which the bricks
were made. At first no attention was paid to their re-
marks, but ultimately an examination was commenced on
one of the bricks which resulted in the extraction of an
immense proportion of gold dust. An offer of eight
thousand dollars for the chimney alone was at once made
by a speculator, but refused ; scarcely any adequate idea
of the value of the whole number of bricks forming the
house can consequently be formed. There is no doubt
that the clay from which the bricks have been made has
been procured in the neighbourhood, and hence it may be
supposed a mine of enormous value is to be found with-
out much trouble. A specimen of the gold has been
brought over by Captain Stotesbury, of the Philadelphia,
who has kindly submitted it to our inspection : it may be
seen by the curious at our office.
JUNCTION OF THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS.—
Very interesting particulars on this important subject are
given in the New York Herald. Commodore Vander-
, hilt, the manager of the company, had returned to New
York, fully convinced that a ship-canal may readily be
formed. Great progress had been made with the surveys ;
and up to the last date the engineers have fixed upon
routes for a ship canal between the Lake of Nicaragua and
the Pacific Ocean, and also a road for passengers and
freight from the extremity of the lake to the Bay of San
Juan on the Pacific. Rio Lagos had been selected on the
Atlantic side of the lake. Route, from New York to San
Juan, by steam-ship, thence to the Castillian rapids on
the San Juan river, by steam-boat; from this point to
the river above the aforesaid rapids, a distance of one
hundred yards or so, by land; thence by the river San
Juan and the Lake of Nicaragua to Virgin Bay ; thence
to San Juan harbour on the Pacific, a distance of twelve
miles by land, and thence to San Francisco by steam-ship.
Making liberal allowances for delays, &c., this will bring
San Francisco, by June, within twenty days of New York,
being many days shorter than the connexion can be made

by any other route.
Miss TALBOT'S CASE.—We have seen a letter in the
Times written by a person named " Hendren," who very
impudently calls himself " Bishop of Clifton." From
this letter it would appear that Miss Talbot was, when a
very young child, at school in the convent at Taunton,
where Dr. Hendren rules supreme ; and that, when a
child, she expressed a desire to become a nun. Dr. lien-
dren's letter is written to show, if that were possible,that
not only no compulsion, but that no persuesion even, has
been used to bring about the catastrophe which threatens
Miss Talbot. It acknowledges, however, that the black
veil once assumed there is no escape. Dr. Hendren's
spirit will be best understood by an extract. After stating
that Mr. Berkeley is " not likely to get any share of it"—
e., Miss Talbot's property—he says :—" What right
has Mr. C. F. Berkeley to meddle with Miss Talbot's
affairs ? He is not her parent—he is not her guardian—
he is in no way entitled to interfere with her. It was
right, perhaps, to let him see her once, that he might see
and be convinced that she WAS under no constraint. But
he will not be allowed to see her again—that is, to vex
and teaze her—of that he may be sure." After this, Dr.
Hendren assures the public that no " compulsion" is used
to drive wealthy young ladies into conventual poverty;
adding, with a true Popish flourish, that he is not sorry
to " have found this opportunity of explaining a subject
which is continually misunderstood by fools and misre-
presented by knaves." We fully agree with him : the
subject (and it is a very serious one) may be mituuder•
stood by " fools.",