The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-05-14 00:00:00

BANK OF ENGLAND.—A special court of the proprietors
,f stock in this corporation was held in the court-room of
the establishment, to consider important communications
relative to the terms upon which the charter is proposed
'ay her Majesty's government to be renewed. The meet-
ing, although fully attendA, was not nearly so crowded
as when the same topic was brought forward in 1833, the
year in which the last renewal occurred. There were but
a few country bankers present, but of the leading London
capitalists there sas a strong muster. The correspon-
dence between the government and the bank having been
read, some discussion ensued on the affairs of the bank.
The chairman moved that the proposals of the govern-
ment should be acceded to. It was agreed that the
papers should be published for the use of the members.
and that the court should adjourn till Monday.
ALARMING FIRE AT EXNING, NEAR NEWMARKET.—
On Saturday evening last this village, so notorious some
twenty years past for the operations of incendiarism, had
been nearly totally destroyed by an act of this description.
Mr. Stigerwood, an opulent farmer, and the parish sur-
veyor, lost eighty combs of wheat, while his live stock
escaped by a miracle, attributable doubtless to a well-
supplied stream, or small river, which intersects the vil-
lage. Several thatched cottages in the immediate neigh-
bourhood were more or less ignited, and had not four
engines arrived from Newmarket the whole village, com-
nosed chiefly of thatched cottages, would have become the
prey of theconflagration. Whatforms not the least alarming
feature in the case is, that threats are abroad about a
speedy revisitation of the spot, and certain destruction of
the village.—Morning Herald.
ALARMING ACCIDENT.—( From the Welshmanof Satur-
day.)—A most dreadful accident occurred yesterday in a
colliery near Llanelly. It appears from the particulars we
have been able to gather, that between two and three
o'clock yesterday afternoon the engine in the Penbwlrh-
gwyn colliery, about two miles from Llanelly, caught fire.
After a short time the engine with a tremendous crash
fell into the pit, shutting out every chance of escape for
the hundred men and children who were working in the
pit. All attempts to put out the flames were vain. Ex-
ertions to extricate toe sufferers were used incessantly,
but at eight o'clock last night not one of them was got
out of the pit.—[Subsequent accounts contradict this ac-
count. It appears there were only from twenty to thirty
persons in the pit, and the whole of them were happily
extricated alive.]
SERIOUS ROBBERIES.—CAUTION AGAINST PETTY
HAWKERS.—The following serious robberies have been
committed in the day during the last and present month, in
the neighbourhood of Manchester. On the 20th ult., a
watch from the house of Miss Needham, Pendleton; on
the 26th stk., quantity of silver plate from the house of
Mr. Slater, Broughton ; on the 28th ult., a quantity of
silver plate from the house of Mr. Walton, Stretford-
terrace 2 • on the Ist inst., a quantity of plate from Birch
Hall, 11usholme ; on the 2nd inst., a quantity of plate
from the house of Mr. Scholes, Prestwich ; on the 3rd
inst., a silver basket, value twenty pounds, from the house
of r, Slater, Victoria Park ;on the 4th inst., from a
house at Swinton, a work-basket, containing trinkets ;
and on the 6th inst., a quantity of plate from the house of
Mr. Owens, Stretford. All these robt•eries are supposed
to have been committed by petty hawkers who go about to
the houses in the outskirts of the town, with matches,
paper, small books, pens, sealing wax, &c., as a pretext
for loitering about premises.
THE PERILS OF STEEPLECHASING,,AD inquest vas
held on Wednesday evening by Mr. Higgs, at St. George's
Hospital, on the body of Charles Barnell, aged 38. The
deceased was a trainer of horses for steeplechasing. In
his capacity of " toper," he taught the horses to leap, for
which purpose a number of bars are required of different
heights, for the animals to jump over. On the 18th ult.
he purchased a horse at Dixon's Repository. On arriving
at Kilburn, he took the horse into the yard for the pur-
pose of trying his leaping powers. The bar was brought
out, and amidst many spectators, it was cleared in good
style by the deceased. Elated with success, he ordered
the bar to be raised higher. The horse cleared the bar,
but the deceased, by some mischance, slipped off, and
alighted on his feet. The ground being rough, and the
force with which he came to the ground, broke his right
leg. He was removed to the hospital, when delirium
tremens set in. He lingered for some days, and died on
Tuesday night, from mortification of the injured part.
The deceased, during his steeplechasing career, had
broken his left leg on two previous occasions.
THE POLICE AND THE GAMBLING-HOUSES. —On
Wednesday morning, shortly before one o'clock, a very
determined attack was made by the police upon a number
of gambling-houses at the west end of the town, situate
in Bury-street, Albemarle-street, St. James's-street, and
their neighbourhoods. By a preconcerted arrao.,.ernent,
in pursuance of orders from the commissioners of police,
a body of policemen from several divisions of the force
were ordered to be in readiness between eleven and twelve,
to proceed to a certain destination unknown to the men,
but which was eventually found to be in making a simul-
taneous assault upon gambling-houses at the west end of
the town. The men, on leaving the stations, were sup-
plied with sledge-hammers, crow-bars, &e., for the pur-
pose of obtaining immediate entrance, Upon the divi-
sions reaching the houses, an attack was at once made
upon the doors and admission obtained. The police then
rushed up the stairs into the rooms. In some of the
houses the gambling was going on, when, upon the noise
of the police entering being heard, a general attempt was
made to escape. The police, however, succeeded in cap-
turing several persons, and also getting possession of the
rouge el noir tables, the 100-tables, the cues, &c., which,
with the prisoners, were taken to the station-house of the
C division in Vine-street, where they were safely lodged.
CONVICTION OP CROUCH, THE MURDERER.—The
trial of William Crouch, who, it will be remembered,
murdered his wife by cutting her throat at her lodgings,
in Marylehone, from which she died instantly, took place on
Wednesday, at the criminal court, London. Two or
three publicans, in whose service the prisoner had been as
potboy and waiter, proved that he was extremely stupid
—so much so, that they had been obliged to discharge
him. His intellect was so limited, that it more than one
customer gave him an order at the same time for different.
kinds of liquids to drink, he could not remember them.
The jury retired at four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon,
and there being no prospect of their agreeing the same
night, they were locked up. On Thursday morning, they
came into court, at ten o'clock, ann upon being asked
whether they had agreed upon their verdict, the foreman
answered in the negative, and requested the learned Judge
to read' over to them the portion the evidence which
bore upon the prisoner's insanity. Mr. Justice Coltman,
who presided, immediately sent for Mr. Baron Alderson,
who tried the case. The jury asked in the mean time to
be allowed some refreshment, as they had been without
food for twenly-jour hours ! the learned judge expressed
his inability to comply until the arrival of his learned
brother. The starved jury then retired feeble and ex-
haus' ed, and, after waiting an hour and a half, sent a re-
quest to the court to be allowed a glass of water. Mr.
Justice Coltman informed them that he was obiized to
refuse their request. Mr. Baron Alderson h wing arrived,
the jury again retired, having received from his lordship,'
the intormation a‘hich they sought ; about two o'clock
they came again into court, with a verdict of guilty. Mr.
Baron Alderson immediately passed sentence of death
upon the prisoner, giving no hope of mercy.

THE PROPOSED NEW Docks AT HULL.—The Hull
Dock Company, as we have already stated, are proposing
to construct two new docks at that port,—the Victoria
Dock, east of the harbour, and the Railway Dock, near
the railway station. The first (which is to communicate
with the old harbour by means of a basin, and also with
the Humber in a similar romner, so as to form a circular
string of docks) would provide for the timber trade, and
the latter for the trade in salt, cotton-twist, &c., by rail-
way. The area of the Victoria Dock is to be nearly 13
acres, the Humber basin about 3, and the Drypool basin
11; the length of quay round the dock 3,390 feet, and the
area of the quays 13 acres. The length of quays round
the Drypool basin will be 1,390 feet, and the area 4 acres.
The length of the quays round the Humber basin will be
1,390 feet, with 61 acres of quay room. At the e ist of
the dock there will be a slope for the landing of timber.
The e,timate for the Drypool basin is £46,361 ; for the
dock, £87,263; for the south or Humber basin, £36.847.
The total estimate for this dock is £32,941.? The Rail-
way Dock will have an area of 24 acres. 'I he quay, will
be 50 feet wide on either side, having an area of 2 acres.
It is proposed to reserve 1 acre 2,000 yards for ware-
houses. The estimate for the Railway Dock, including
contingencies, is £58,576. The cost of the rails and rail-
way machinery will be £8,600, of which the Dock Com-
pany are to bear one-half. Both docks are to have a
depth of 30 feet at spring tides, and 21 or 22 feet at neap
tides. Toe estimates provide 24 acres of quay room, and
19 acres of docks. The total cost is estimated at £410,000.
It was stated in the committee on this bill, onWednesday
last, that the export of cotton-twist from Hull (which
reaches there chiefly by railway) was about 80 million
pounds annually.

WRECK OF THE SEVERN STEAMER.—Within these
few weeks, two new iron steamers, the Severn and Avon,
fitted with the Archimedean screw, and high-pressure
engines, were started in opposition to the old line' Of
steam packets between Bristol and Nwport, South Wales.
We regret to state that one of them, the Severn, was
wrecked in the Newport river, just at the moment of her
starting on her return voyage to Bristol. About a quar-
ter to six on Saturday evening, when about to start, the
Severn was lying at her berth near the Newport bridge,
with her bow towards the bridge, her stern being down
the river, or in the direction of Bristol. At this time the
tide was running up the Newport river very strong. The
signal for starting having been given, the captain com-
menced swinging her round, and cast off the stern chain,
depending upon the bow rope and the power of the engine
for bringing her round with her head to the tide, and thus
getting her under weigh. At this moment, when the order
was given to back her, it was found that the screw would
not revolve; the vessel immediately swung round, and
carried with the tun of the tide, struck with her bow
against the sharp wedgelike buttress of the bridge, and
recoiling, almost instantly struck with her side against
another buttress with such force, that every one on the
bridge fully expected to see her turn right over. At this
moment the scene wos indescribable ; the spectators on
shore, as well as their friends on board, screaming dread-
fully. Boats were instantly put in requisition ; and the
Passengers, upwards of 50 in number, were fortunately all
got on shore. The removal of the luggage, &c., was safely
effected. In about an hour arid a half, she was seen to
go down, the captain and crew having only just jumped
into some boats previously to her sinking ; indeed, they
stayed by her so long, that the boats in which they were
were swamped. The crew were, however picked up by
other boats. No cause could be assigned for the non-ac-
tion of the screw, till, on the tide leaving her, a chain was
discovered firmly twisted round the screw, which bad
thus caused her destruction. How the chain came there
is a complete mystery. The vessel has since rolled over
with every tide. and has a rent in her side from the deck
to her keel large enough for men to walk in and out ; so
that is very doubtful whether she will not go entirely to
pieces.— Time*.