The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-18 00:00:00

SINGULAR AND FATAL ACCIDENT.—An inquest was
held on Monday, at Barton, on view of the body of
Hannah, wife of James Ward, dyer, of Salford. It ap-
peared, that on the preceding day the deceased and her
husband walked to Barton, intending to take the packet
there for Irlam. They were too late, but obtained a pas-
sage in a common boat that was going to Liverpool.
About a mile and a half below, at Sticking's Lock, they
had to wait while a packet ascended the lock, and while
doing so the mast suddenly fell, striking the head of the
woman, who was sitting near, and killing her on the spot.
It appeared that one of the links of the chain by which
the mast was held had become unloosed.
£385 IN BANK OF ENGLAND NOTES DESTROYED BY
FIRE.—On Monday evening Mr. W. Skinner, a boot and
shoe maker, carrying on rather an extensive business in
High-street, Stratford, went with a £2O note into his
cellar, for the purpose of depositing it with several others
(which it. appears he kept in a tin kettle,) to the amount
of £380; when in the act of depositing the £2O note in
question, some person entered his shop, and he left the
cellar for the purpose of ascertaining what was wanted,
and on his return he found the whole of the notes,
amounting to £4OO in flames, and he only succeeded in
saving £l5. It is supposed that the notes were ignited
by a spark falling from the candle. Unfortunately the
numbers are not known ; therefore, there is no probability
' of any port!on of the money being recovered from the
Bank of England.—Essex Standard.
WILL OF THE LATE MARG,U S OF HASTINGS.—The
will of the late Marquis of Hastings has just been proved
in Doctors Commons. The deceased gives to his wife
£7500 for providing her and her younger children with a
suitable residence; an annuity of £lOOO a-year, best
carriage and braes, and the choice of furniture, &c., at
Loudon Castle, Scaland ; or should she prefer money,
the sum of £3OOO instead. To his sons on attaining age,
and to his daughters on attaining theirs, or day of mar-
riage, sums varying from £4500 to £9OOO. The late
much lamented Lady Flora Hastings is bequeathed a
legacy. The residue is given to his wife, children, and
other branches of his family. The following passage
occurs in the will :—" If it should please Almighty God
to take the whole of my children to himself, I trust my
sovereign will confer the title on my eldest sister, to per-
petuate my long line of ancestors." The personal pro-
perty is sworn under the large sum of £140,000. The
will bears date in 1836.
SUICIDE WHILST DREAMING.--On Sunday evening
last, a young man, named William Sexton, Amphtill,
Bedfordshire, died from the effects of a wound in his
throat, inflicted by himself under the following singular
circuroitance :—For some time past the deceased had
suffered from asthma, and at times was rather delirious.
On the 22d. ult., he went to bed at the usual time. Be-
tween one and two o'clock, he walked to his sister's
room and woke her up. She asked him what he wanted,
but he only answered by pointing to his throat, and on
her putting her hand to the spot, she found he was bleed..
ing from a wound in it. Assistance was procured and the
wound was dressed. On rallying, the deceased stated,
that during his sleep he dreamed that a policeman said he
would put birn in the stocks, and that he replied, rather
than he should do so be would cut his throat. The police-
man attempted to do it, and he then got up and took his
penknife out of his pocket and inflicted the wound. The
pain caused him to awake, and he then walked to his
sister's room, as stated above.

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.—A general order to take
effect from the Ist of this month, has been issued from
the Horse Guard, by direction of the Commander in
Chief, relative to the enlistment of recruits for the Cavalry
and infantry, and the, East India Company's employ, who
are all to be taken for ultimate service. For the Cavalry,
the amount of levy money is £6 19s. ; of which £5 15s. 6d

is to be paid to the recruit, and £1 3s. 6d. in contingen-
cies. For the Infantry, the levy money is £5 65., viz.,
£4 to the recruit, and £1 6s. in contingencies. The fol-
lowing shows the standard and age required for the various
species of service.—Heavy Cavalry, men not below sft.
Tin. nor above sft. lOin., and riot exceeding 25 years of
age ; growing lads sft 61in., if under 17. Light Cavalry,
including Lancers: men not below 51t. 61in. nor above
sft. 9in., and not under 19, nor exceeding 25. Infantry
of the Line : men not below sft. 6in., nor exceeding 25 ;
growing lads sft 6in., if under 18. Infantry in India,
China, New South Wales, and St. Helena : sft. 6in.,
not under 18. East India Company's Service ; Artillery,
not below sft. Tin. ; Infantry, not below sft. 6in. ; and
not under 20 or exceeding 30.

MISS CHRISTINA WELLER.—This gifted young lady
made her debut before a metropolitan audience on Tues-
day last, at a concert given by Signor Marras, in the
Hanover-square Rooms. The Morning Chronicle of
Wednesday thus flatteringly notices her performances :
" A very interesting feature of the concert was the debut
of Miss Christina Weller, a young pianist who promises
to make a sensation in the musical world. She played
Weber's famous Concert-stuck, with orchestral accom-
paniments, in a manner which, in several particulars, we
have not heard surpassed. The lightness, rapidity, and
brilliancy of her fingers are wonderful ; and her style is
that of a thorough musician. The concluding movement,
so expressive of the wildest exuberance of joy, was exe-
cuted with the utmost possible animation, and produced
an immense effect on the audience, who gave vent to their
pleasure and admiration in the loudest applause. Miss
Weller, moreover, is exceedingly handsome, elegant, and
lady-like ; and, we doubt not, will become one of the
greatest stars of our concerts." Last Thursday evening
Miss Weller gave a soiree musicale of her own, at the
same place, which passed off with great eclat, and of her
performances at which, the leading journals speak in the
most unqualified terms of praise.

THE GERMAN DWARFS.—We understand that the
fortunate holder of Tom Thumb has already realised a
pretty sum of money by his speculation ; and it is well
for him that he has done so in time, for in London are
three wee-wee things come from Germany, who bid fair
to divert a small share of the public attention. The
General, who purports to be twelve years old, is twenty-
inches high ; one of our new visitors, Christian Brock-
sted, is thirteen years old, bona fide, " right up, straight
down, and no mistake," to quote classic Jack Brag, as
may be known unto all men by the certificate of his bap-
tism and birth, duly signed and sealed by the local au-
thorities, and yet he is only three inches taller than the
American, and weighs but one pound more. Moreover,
the German blows lustily on the horn, and smokes no
end of cigars, and takes leading parts in a ballet of ac-
tion, and does all sorts of things marvellous to behold in
one so very small. Then there's his sister, Maria
Brocksted, eighteen years old, yet only 32 inches high,
and of but 22 pounds weight, a very nice little woman
indeed, chubby, rosy, smiling, apparelled in a silk cress
of mature form, with a good head of hair, dressed a la
•node, who sings a song, and dances a dance as `twere a
fairy of the olden time, or an elfin sprite of more modern
Germany. There's another brother, Henrie Brocksted,
22 years of age 36 inches high, and weighing but 36
pounds, who takes part in the ballet.

CHAT MOSS ON FIRE !—On Friday morning, the ex-
tensive moss generally known as Chat Moss, on the line
of the Liverpool railway, was discovered to be on fire
in two places, one on the part of the Moss called Barton
Moss, and the other at the Flow Moss, distant a few miles
from each other. Owing to the long continuance of
drought, the vegetation on this extensive waste was in a
very dry state, and the fire, aided by the high wind from
the west, spread with great rapidity from each of these
points, in the direction of Manchester, extending at the
same time north and south. The fire extended over a
distance of upwards of three miles, varying in breadth
from one to two miles. Under the apprehension that the
destructive element would reach the platations of Lord
Francis Egerton, at \\Torsley, a number of persons, in-
cluding several of the railway servants, were actively em-
ployed in trying to arrest the fire, by digging trenches and
other means. The fire at the other spot spread to a nearly
equal extent. Several causes have been assigned for the
origin of the fire, and it is difficult to ascertain which is
the correct one. It was said to be the result of the spon-
taneous combustion of the peat; others thought that the
farmers on the borders of the moss had thought this a
favourable opportunity for burning off the vegetation,
and thereby rendering the land more susceptible of cul-
ture. The guard of the railway trai i which arrived on
Sunday afternoon stated that the fire was completely ex-
tinguished. He said that smoke was observable on many
parts of the moss, but that the flames were wholly sub-
dued. He seems to think that the damage has been over-
rated, and that it will be principally confined to the furze
and vegetable growth. It appears that the fire swept
along the edge of Lord Francis Egerton's plantations,
but did not affect any material injury to those beautifully
cultivated patches of land. The timber has also escaped
uninjured.
GAS COMPETITION.—From evidence given before a
committee of the House of Commons during the present
sessions, it appears that the London Gas Company, whose
works are situated at Vauxhall, commenced operations in
the year 1834 to compete with several existing companies
both on the Middlesex and Surrey side of the Thames,
under the pretence of supplying gas at a considerably re-
duced rate ; and after being at work for nine years, they
stood indebted, on the 31 December last, as shown by
their accounts, in no less a sum than £155,000.—As it
may satisfy the curious to know how such companies con-
trive to carry on their speculations, we give the following
particulars, as they appear in evidence, of the company in
question. Their original capital was £150,000, consisting
of 3,000 shares of £5O each ; which, in the year 18-10, were
all paid up. Finding themselves in great difficulties, for
want of money, they contrived to borrow the sum of
£155,000, above referred to, on mortgage of their works,
and the individual responsibility of the directors. In ad-
dition to this, they have found it necessary to raise fur-
ther capital, and it appears that they have succeeded in
raising an additional sum of £lOO,OOO, by issuing scrip,
called " Preference Shares," bearing interest at the rate
of 6 per cent. per annum (payable before any dividend upon
the original shares can be made,) and entitling the scrip-
owners, within a given time, to become shareholders in
the concern, should the amount of the profits exceed that
of the guaranteed 6 per cent. In this state of affairs, the
London Gas Company are now applying to parliament for
an act to enable them to raise more money, and to limit
the liability of the subscribers to the amount of their sub-
scriptions. Having first coalesced with some of the other
companies, they abandoned the cheap price of £3 10s. for
public lamps (upon the strength of which they obtained
permission to lay pipes in various parishes) and, in case
where circumstances admitted, raised the price to £6 6s.
per lamp ! We are always advocates for foir competition,
where the public are really likely to reap a lasting advan
tage; but we are, at the same time, ready:to oppose acorn pe-
tition which has for its ulterior object monopoly, by means
of coalition. Had this company's affairs been managed
by a body of respectable and experienced tradesmen, who
understood their business, and had an interest in securing
a permanent reduction in the price of gas, a very different
result might have taken place; and we hold this up as
common they
interest are but
warning to large capitalists, not to interfere with a busi-
ness forn o which
withill-athde public.apted, and in which they
have