The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-05-09 00:00:00

TOXTETH PARK PROTESTANT OPERATIVE
SOCIETY.

The half-yearly general meeting of the members and friend s
of this society was held last evening in the Toxteth-hall,
Mill-street, for the purpose of promoting the general objects
of the institution, and also for supporting the measure in-
troduced by government into the House of Commons for the
scriptural education of the children of the poor iu the manu-
facturing districts of the country. The place was extremely
crowded, and upon the platform we observed the Rev. H.
Carpenter, the Rev. D. James, Mr. John Sheppard, and a
great number of other gentlemen of Protestant and Con-
servative principles.
Mr. JOHN SHEPPARD, one of the representatives in the
Town Council for North Toxteth Ward, was unanimously
called to the chair. After some general observations, he said
the meeting were principally assembled for the purpose of
considering the expediency of petitioning the House of Com-
mons in favour of Sir James Graham's bill, for the education
of children in the factory districts ; an object which, he con-
tended, it was their duty and their privilege to support. He
described the destitute condition of the population in the
mining and manufacturing districts with respect to religious
knowledge, and contende that it was the duty of all loyal
subjects to support the government in their efforts to extend
to them the blessings of knowledge. He remarked that
some of the dissenting sects were even yet dissatisfied with
the bill of Sir James Graham, although it had undergone
large modifications ; and, under all these circumstances, it
was necessary for the friends of the church to come forward
and shew themselves. (Loud cheers.)
. _

At the close of his address the Chairman read the follow-
ing note from Mr. Councillor Harbord :
" My DEAR SlR.—Beinz on the sick list I am prevented
attended the meeting this evening, I have therefore to re-
quest the favour of your intimating the same to our friends
of the good cause, assuring them that had my health per-
mitted, I should not only have considered it a duty, but a
privilege, to stand forward in support of the greatest blessing
which our kind and merciful God has freely offered to us
sinful and polluted creatures.
" Remaining, Dear Sir, yours sincerely,
" RICHARD HARBORD.
" Upper Parliame7a-street, Bth May, 1842."
The Rev. HENRY CARPENTER moved the first resolution,
which set forth that the condition of a large portion of the
children of the humbler classes of this country, in reference
to education, imperatively demanded the prompt interference
of Christian rulers, with the view of securing for them such
opportunities and means as might, with the Divine blessing,
conduce not only to them temporal amelioration but to them
spiritual and eternal welfare. The Rev. Gentleman, in the
course of an able speech, showed by a variety of statistics
that the church had exceeded the efforts of all other religious
bodies in the promotion of education, both with reference to
the number of schools supported and the number of scholars
in them. And, as the Chirman had proved from official
documents after all the efforts which had been made, it was
a positive fact that more than a million children were
still destitute of education. In order to supply educa-
tion to that number, there must be added to the sum
already expended by churchmen £300,000 a year. It ap-
peared to him impracticable to expect that this sum, in addi-
tion to that already contributed by churchmen, a fair case
was made out for the interference of parliament. The prin-
ciple, indeed, had already been affirmed by parliament, and
it was the duty of parliament to affirm it; and if they voted
to-morrow £300,000 a year to educate the people, he was
satisfied it would be found ultimately a vast saving in a finan-
cial point of view, inasmuch as the spread of religious know-
ledge was the best instrument for preventing crime. It was
a fact not perhaps generally known that it cost more money
to convict and transport one felon than it would to educate
800 children a whole year ! (Cheers.) Was not crime, then,
more costly than education ? (Cheers.) Having expanded
this view of the subject, the rev. gentleman adverted to the
opposition made by the three denominations of dissenters to
the principle involved in the factory bill, and contended that
it was founded neither in justice nor reason; and be con-
cluded by an urgent call upon the meeting to support the
great principle of scriptural education.
Mr. R. M'CLAY seconded the resolution in an appropriate
address, after which it was unanimously carried. _

The Rev. DAVID JAMES proposed the second resolution,
as follows :—" That no system of education ought to receive
the sanction of Protestants but that which is based upon the
principle of the free use of the Scriptures to every child
coming to be instructed, and that while we as Protestants
are willing to allow full liberty to the Dissenter in non-essen-
tial matters of merely human arrangement, we cannot, as
consistent churchmen, consent to see our venerable esta-
blishment assigned a lower place in any plan of national edu-
cation than that to which, as the national church, she is so
fairly entitled." The reverend gentleman delivered a very
eloquent address, in the course of which he explained the
educational clauses of Factory Act in support of the resolu-
tion.

Mr. CHARLES HINTON seconded.tho motion, and it was
unanimously adopted.

The usual thanks were then voted to the chairman for his
efficient conduct in the chair, and shortly after ten o'clock
the meeting separated.

The Anti-Corn-law League have applied to engage Covent-
Garden Theatre to hold their meetings in, and the proprie-
tors have declined, stating that their theatre ought not to be
appropriated to political meetings.

TIIE INFANT PRlNccss.—Her Royal Highness is a re-
markably fine infant, not so delicately formed as her sister,
the Princess Royal, and in features more resembling the
Prince of Wales. She has large light blue eyes, and hair
which promises to be flaxen.—Court Journal.
At a meeting of the United Service Institution held in
London a few days ago, Major Shadwell Clarke in the chair,
a model of a new oar, made so as that the rower could sit
with his face towards the head of the boat, and still pull in
the usual manner, was exhibited.

There is to be seen, in the house of Mr. Brook, surgeon,
at Stansted, Essex, a robin's nest built between the candle-
sticks on the mantlepiece over the kitchen fireplace. It has
four eggs, which are in a state of incubation.
THE ABSCONDED TREASURER.—fir, Cox, of the head
oolice-otfice, left Kingstown on Wednesday afternoon, for
Liverpool, to take his passage in the Caledonian mail steamer,
which was to have sailed from that port yesterday morning
for Boston. Mr. Cox is armed with all the necessary powers
for the arrest of James Finn, the absconded treasurer of the
corporation, and the seizure of all money and other property
in his possession.—Dublin paper.

b "I'-.ROBDERY AND MURDELL.—On Thursday morning last
etween six and seven o'clock, as police-constable Sleigh was
walking round the New Market-place, Bury, he was called
upon by two men, and informed that an old man was lying,
dead above the sand-pits. On proceeding to the spot be
found the deceased, Janice Heywood, a farmer, from the
neighbourhood of Middleton, an old tnan of sixty-four years
of age, lyina upon his left side, and quite dead. There was
a quantity of blood upon the ground—one eye was blackened,
and near the other was a severe cut. The right pocket of his
breeches was turned inside out, and the left pocket was com-
pletely torn away from his clothes; and close to him
was his
purse, which, however, was empty. He must have been
to Bury fair with an intention of
robbed, as he. had come
buying a cow, and, therefore, must have had money upon
him. His hat lay on the hedge, and in the hedge was an
opening, apparently done in a severe struggle, as the thorns
were broken and some blood lay upon them ; but the imme-
mediate cause of death had evidently been that of strangula-
tion. Mr. Foster, surgeon, was sent for, and deceased was
conveyed to the house of Wright Greenhalgh, where he now
lies. In addition to the money stolen from him (probably
about £10) his watch was also taken. He was last seen be-
tween nine and ten o'clock on the evening of Wednesday, and
was then intoxicated. The place where he was found is not
on his way home, and he must have been inveigled to the
spot.-41anchestor Courier,

DIMIRACHPUL MOCEEDINOS OP A SHIP'S
CREW, AND MERITORIOUS CONDUCT OF
THE CAPTAIN AND OFFICERS.

At the police-court yesterday Messrs. Gladstone and Co.
were summoned before Mr. Rushton and Mr. S. Percival,
to show cause why they refused to pay William or Stephen
Rose, an able seaman, the sum of t 8 9s. 7d.. which he
alleged to be due to him for wages, from the 13th of Dec.
last to the 27th of April, at the rate of £2 10s. per month.
Mr. Davenport appeared for the claimant, with whom
there were fourteen other seamen, and Mr. Carson repre-
sented Messrs. Gladstone and Co.

The complainant stated that, on the 13th of December, he
was shipped on hoard Messrs. (iladstone's vessel, the Duke
of Lancaster, Captain Mackenzie, at Calcutta, at £2 10s. per
month ; he arrived in Liverpool on the 27th of April, but his
wages were refused to be paid. The vessel called at St.
Helena, and some of the crew being sickly at that time, they
desired that they might have medical assistance, but the
captain refused it.

Mr. Carson then said he would shortly state the grounds
upon which the defence rested. The complainant left Cal-
cutta in the Duke of Lancaster on the 17th of December.
On the 23d, the captain found that several of them were in-
fected with a filthy disease, but Rose was not one of the
number. On the 7th of January, Rose and other men de-
manded an additional glass of grog; and they further de-
manded that they should have watch and watch about, as
usual, which the captain, owing to the sickness which pre-
vailed in consequence of the disease of several of the men,
had been obliged to break into. Rose and the other men,
thereupon, refused to work. The ship at that time, owing
to tempestuous weather, was making more water than usnal.
The captain called the men who refused to work upon the
deck, and told them that as they were in a case of necessity
he must give in to their demands ; but they still refused to
work unless a note was given to them stating that the tran-
saction should not be " logged." The mate, thereupon,
gave them a note to the effect that he would not " log " it.
Off the Cape, a man of the name of Stewart, for abusing the
captain, and using disorderly language, was in the act of
being put into irons when Rose endeavoured to liberate him,
taking, him round the waist for that purpose; but upon being
told by the captain be was acting in a mutinous manner, he
desisted. At St. Helena, Rose and the other men refused to
work, alleging that the ship was not seaworthy. The capt.
had a survey made of her by the commander of the Bittern,
one of her Majesty's vessels, and other proper parties; but
the men refused to work until the end of two days and a half,
when they complied, and the vessel cleared for sea. On the
9th of April, upon the voyage from St. Helena to Liverpool,
the first watch, not including Rose, refused to get out the
flying jib-boom; they went off work ; and on the following
day, the 10th, the larboard watch, which included Rose, re-
fused to work, and all of them, namely, Rose, and fourteen
other men, continued off work until the 26th of April, when
the vessel arrived in Liverpool. The consequence was, that
the captain, the mate, the steward, the carpenter, three
ordinary seamen, and two boys, were compelled to navigate
the vessel themselves the whole distance, running in effect
the greatest risk imaginable, both to the vessel and the crew.
Captain Cohn Mackenzie was then called, and he detailed
the circumstances of the voyage, as stated by Mr. Carson.
He said he was confined to the cabin, by illness, the first
ten days of the voyage ; and when he was able to go on deck,
he acceded to the men's demand for additional grog. He
described the mutinous conduct of Stewart and the interfe-
rence of Rose. In consequence of the complaint of the
men that the ship was unseaworthy, he had her surveyed at
St. Helena; some repairs were found necessary, and they
were executed by the carpenter of H.M.S. Bittern, and his
own carpenter; and a certificate given that she was in a
proper state to go to sea. [This certificate was put in and
read.] Some of the crew being unwell, they were examined
by the doctor of the Bittern, who said they would be well
enough to go to sea in two days. On the 7th of April the
jib-boom was carried away ; on the 9th another was got
ready, but the crew refused to assist the officers in getting
it out. On the 10th the larboard watch gave up work, as
the other watch had done the day before, and they continued
off work till the 26th, when the vessel arrived home. He
(the captain) navigated the ship with the aid of the officers,
the boys, and three ordinary seamen, although during the
whole of that period the pumps had to be worked every
hour.

In cross-examination, the captain said that on the after-
neon of the 9th, the crew being then in a state of open mu-
tiny, he directed the carpenter to draw a line across the
deck; and the mate told them, by his orders, that if any
man crossed that line, he would certainly be shot. The
guns and all the small arms in the ship were prepared on the
quarterdeck, for the purpose of defence. Rose was steering
at twelve o'clock ; at half-past he was relieved to go to din-
ner, but he did not return as he ought to haa'e done. It
could not be that he was afraid of being shot, for the line
was not then drawn ; and if it had, he had plenty of oppor-
tunities of communicating his wish to return to his duty.
John 011iver, first mate in the Duke of Lancaster, corro-
borated this statement. He was cross-examined as to some
entries in the log-book, but without affecting the validity of
his testimony. The men, he said, from the 10th to the 26th,
passed their time in the forecastle, talking and smoking.
Mr. CARSON said this was the case on the part of the
owners.

Mr. DAVENPOnT said the answer he had to make was,
that Rose went off duty at St. Helena, in consequence of the
refusal of the captain to procure assistance for those who
were unwell. Up to that time Rose bad done his duty as an
able seaman. The vessel was repaired at St. Helena, and
Rose did his duty till they arrived off the Western Isles,
when the captain caused the line to be drawn across the deck,
whil-t he (Rose) was at dinner, when he was unable tc return
to the wheel, fearing that he would be shot.—Mr. Daven-
port then re-called Rose, who confirmed this statement, and
said that with respect to his interference when the captain
was putting Stewart in irons, he interfered because he thought
Stewart was abusing the captain.
James Roberts, the boatswain, was then called, and he
proved that both he and the boys were frequently in the fore-
castle during the time the line was drawn ; consequently that
Rose had many opportunities of communicating to the offi-
cers any wish he might have to return to his duty.
Mr. Rushton said a summons had been taken out by ano-
ther seaman, named Levett ; and he asked Mr. Davenport
whether that would now be proceeded with?
Air. Davenport replied that he had no instructions.
Mr. Ellis mentioned that the summons, although granted,
had not been taken out.

Mr. Davenport.—l believe the man had no money. This
is my case, sir.

Mr. Rushton said this appeared to him as cruel a case, on
the part of the seamen, as he had ever been called upon to
decide. Here was the captain of a vessel, sailing from Cal-
cutta, himself ill at the time, yet during the time he was
confined to the cabin a demand was made upon him for an
extra allowance of grog, the quantity having, by the agree-
ment, been left to his discretion. Going upon deck as soon
as the state of his health enabled him to do so, he yielded to
their demand and gave the grog, at the acme time giving them
good counsel by urging them to return to their duty. They
did so; but shortly afterwards they struck work again in
heavy weather. The captain then turned to, with the mate,
boys, steward, and petty officers; they conducted the ship in
boisterous weather the whole night, and for twenty honrs
they worked the pumps. He was then obliged to give in to
the demands of the men, in consideration for the safety of the
lives and property entrusted to his charge. The men then
made further demands. Not content with forcing the cap-
tain to give them an extra allowance of grog, they demanded
that he should not log the transaction—in other words, that
he should betray his duty to his owners and to the country,
which was deeply interested in the preservation of maritime
discipline, and in the character of the navy ; not only did
they demand this, but they threatened that if it were logged
they would not return to work, in order that they might,
under duress, obtain such a pledge from him. Now these
seamen ought to know, that whatever was forced from the
master of a ship under such circumstances, went for nothing
but this—that it furnished perfect evidence, not only of
their insubordinate and mutinous conduct, but that they
must be aware of the precise nature of that conduct,
and of the punishment which the law designed to follow—
that they were not only in actual insubordination, but
that they hoped by threats and intimidation to conceal
that from the authorities of this country who were to judge
between them and the Captain. At St. Helena, it seemed,
the conduct of the crew became absolute mutiny. But be-
fore this the commander of the vessel, being abused by a
seaman, and deeming it necessary for the protection of
himself and his owner, to punish the seaman by securing
him in irons, the complainant laid hold of the Captain, thus
interfering in the exercise of his authority ; but being told
his conduct was meritorious he desisted. When the vessel
arrived at St. Helena the men eompiained of the Ship not
being sea-worthy, and what did the Captain do? He sent
for the Master of Her Majesty's ship there, and a survey
was made, some defects were found, and they were immedi-
ately ordered to be repaired. The repairs were effectually
performed. An attempt was made to justify the conduct of
the crew in refusing, after all this, to proceed on the voyage
on the ground that some of them were sick.
What did the Captain do ? A physician came on board
and two days, he said, would put them all right : the cap-
tain, however, staid five days. Every thing then went on
well till the affair about the jib-boom. Upon the 9th of
April a part of the crew, being desired to do certain work,
refused, and on the 10th of April, another portion, of whom
Rose was one, joined the others in refusing to work. And
from that day till the 26th was this brave and excellent cap-
tain, with most inadequate assistance, actually obliged to
navigate his ship, through storms and difficulties which re-
quired all the aid of all the able and ordinary seamen on
board, and, highly to his honour and credit, with a handful
of men, he succeeded in his arduous undertaking. He (Mr.
Rushton) must repeat, that this was one of the most cruel
cases, on the part of the seamen. he had ever met with : their
conduct had been base and cowardly in the highest degree.
After reading the language of a learned judge in reference to
a similar case, Mr. Rushton concluded by stating that it
being the law of England that the conduct of men who could
so betray their duty, and be guilty of such cruelty and cow-
ardice, he should adjudge that their salaries, at least so far as
Rose was concerned, which was the only case actually before
the Court, must be forfeited.

The sittings of the Anti-Slavery Convention commence iu
Freemason's Hall, Leeds, on Tuesday the 12th of June
next. The venerable Thomas Clarkson is to preside.
SALISBURY ELECTION.—The polling took place on Thurs-
day, when the majority of votes was so greatly in favour of
Mr. Hussey, the conservative candidate, that the Hon. E.
P. Bouverie resigned at noon ; the numbers polled up to that
period having been, for Hussey, 262 ; Bouverie, 176 ; ma-
jority, 86.

THE FIIIE AT STOCKPOILT.—WC regret to say, that at
this destructive fire one individual was crushed to death, and
another was so dreadfully injured that he had to be taken to
the infirmary. But his suffering did not eud here ; for
during the night, while a surgeon was rubbing the unfortu-
nate young man with turpentine it took fire, and before it
could be extinguished he was burnt in a still more dreadful
manner, and the infirmary was also in imminent danger, as
four beds and othcr articles were destroyed. The young man
died in the most excruciating agony in a few hours after this
second accident. The surreon who was applying the turpen-
tine was seriously burnt in his endeavours to extinguish the
flames.

DREADFUL DOINGS.—On Thursday a quarrel took place
at Coatbridge betwixt several Irishmen, on that all-engrossing
topic—religion. From words the parties came to blows, and
finally crowbars and other weapons were wielded with effect
on the head and body of a man named Mick Tonnor, who
now lies in a deplorable state from the effects of the injuries
he sustained. Tonnor had several of his teeth knocked out,
his cheek laid open, the bone of his nose broken, and his
head severely cut; but hopes are yet entertained of his re-
covery.—Another ease of outrage occurred in the house of
a publican, at Coatbridge, of the name of Clark. This man
and his family had gone to bed, and were aroused by a loud
knocking at the door; the man of the house (Clark) rose in
his shirt, and requested the parties outside to desist, as he
would not let them in ; to this they paid no attention, but
pressing their shoulders to the door, away it went, and five
ruffian-looking fellows entered, ordered, and took what they
pleased, until their conduct attracted the attention of some
of the neighbours while in bed, and a few of them having
risen and collected together, succeeded, at the risk of their
lives, in ridding Coatbridge of the gang.—A third case is one
of uncommon brutality. On Saturday, while Mary M'Millan
or Brock, a young widow woman, was returning to Langloan
from Airdrie, she was met by six or eight ruffians, and car-
ried to a sequestered spot by the side of Coatdyke quarry or
plantation. Here she was stripped of her clothes and robbed
of her all, besides receiving violation so dreadful that a
description is impossible. Suffice it to say, that death soon
after terminated her sufferings, and the murdered woman
now reposes in the churchyard of Old Monkland.—Glaegow
paper.

tIORTICULMIIALANPIWTANICAt

EXHIBITION.

The first exhibition for the present year of plants, fruits,
flowers,' and vegetables, took place on Friday last, at the
I Botanic Garden,—being the commencing one of the three ex-
hibitions, for competition, appointed by the Liverpool Bo-
tanical Institution, the two others being fixed for the 23d of
June, and the Bth of September. The result was highly gra-
tifying, not only as demonstrating the growing taste for the
cultivation of the beautiful as well as the useful in the vegeta-
ble world in our own neighbourhood and a large circuit be-
yond it, but as affording a pleasing indication, amounting to
almost certainly, that the increasing patronage and support
of the garden will redeem that admirable and unexceptiona-
ble place of resort from the decay with which it had been for
some time so lamentably and severely threatened. The day
was fine, though somewhat cold for the advanced season of
the year, and the company was quite as numerous and select
as we remember to have seen on any former similar occasion
—comprising, indeed, a large portion of the itile and fashion-
able of the town and neighbourhood, as well as many strangers.
The show of plants, flowers, &c., was the best for many years,
many excellent, and some very rare specimens of their kinds
being exhibited in the spacious tents provided for their recep-
tion. A spirit of emulation was manifested, not only amongst
growers in this immediate vicinity, but amongst parties resi-
dent in Yoikshire, Cheshire, and even Anglesea. In plants,
the exotic orchidacese particularly excelled ; and there were
also some splendid azaleas. E. D. Falkner, Esq., furnished
some beautiful rose trees, and Mr. Skirving, of Walton
Nursery, a variety of choice specimens, but neither for com-
petition. The panzies were remarkably fine : those sent by
Mr. O'Grady could not, indeed, be excelled in perfection of
bloom and colouring. We noticed several Oncidii Altissimi,
particularly one sent by Thomas Brocklehurst, Esq., as very
fine. The plant is an epiphite (not, as some suppose, a pa-
rasite), deriving its nourishment chiefly from the atmosphere,
and in its native country (South America, we believe) the
flowers, of a yellowish colour and spotted, hang down in long
slender stems from the trees, forming rich and graceful fes-
toons. In this instance the flowers were supported on
standards, and, in the finest specimen, reached a height of
about six feet. The greatest curiosity shown of the same
family was a Leelia Cinnabarine, bearing a bright orange-
coloured flower of five petals. The Cattleya Skinnerii also
attracted much attention : it presents above ground what are
called auda bulbs. The epidendrum bi-cornutum, of this
class, obtained the third prize. A white azalea, from Messrs.
Cunningham's nursery, was much admired. The fruits and
vegetables were extraordinary, considering the period of the
year, particularly the pines and apples.
The garden, which is in prime order, afforded the most
agreeable promenades, the shrubberies and hedges, planted
about four years ago, having now attained a vigorous growth,
imparting a degree of shade and warmth to the grounds, of
which they were before rather deficient. The intersecting
hedges are now about six feet in height, though after being
panted they were cut close to the ground, and furnish a gra-
tifying instance of what may be accomplished by the modern
and improved system of thorn fencing. If the gentlemen in
some parts of the country would fill up their ugly ditches,—
some of them, by way of fence, five or six feet wide,—and
plant and train hedges of this kind which only occupy about
two feet, they would not only better protect, and shelter
their fields, but impart a pleasing feature to the general
landscape, and also economise the land. Hedges may now,
if care be taken, be planted of several feet in height a priori,
a most successful instance of which may be seen in the new
grounds lately added to the west side of Mr. Skirving's
nursery—an improved French thorn having been introduced
with great success by that gentleman.
Besides the tents for the show tables, in front of the con-
servatory (in which the plants, by the way, are choice and
beautiful,) two marquees were pitched on the green sward
adjoining, one of them fitted up as a refectory with ices and
confectionary. The fountains were also pot into requisition
on the occasion, and had a most pleasing and cool effect.
Nor must we forget Mr. Parker's military band, which was
stationed at the top of the centre walk, and played a variety
of choice airs during the day.

A new system of labelling the plants which has been adop-
ted, and is approaching towards completion in the garden, is
worthy of the notice of visitors. Poisonous plants are la-
belled with white letters on a black ground ; medicinal plants,
and those used in the arts, red ground with black letters ;
culinary plants, yellow ground with black letters; and orna-
mental plants, white ground with black letters.
The company enjoyed themselves in perambulating the se-
veral walks and pleasure-grounds, which present considerable
variety,—and many of them lingered, loth to depart, until
the evening had set in, albeit the weather inclined to cold.
All appeared to be highly gratified by the show and the ex-
cellent arrangements made by the committee.
The following is the