The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-11-12 00:00:00

LOCAL MEETINGS,

At the monthly meeting of the Wallasey Commission-
ers, on Thursday, a rate of a shilling in the pound was
agreed to, to meet the expenditure of the ensuing year.
HISTORIC SOCIETY.—The third session of this society
was commenced on Thursday evening, at the Collegiate
Institution, John Mather, Esq., being chairman. The
presentations were numerous and interesting, and the dis-
cussions animated and intelligent. The paper for the
evening, on the Roman military way leading from Poulton-
in-the-Fylde, in the western part of Lancashire, to Chat-
burn, north-east of Clithero, where it runs through York-
shire to York, was read by Mr. Pidgeon, honorary secre-
tary, the author of the paper, Mr. Just, of Bury, being
unable to attend the meeting. The paper led to some
interesting discussion as to the genuineness of Richard of
Cirencester's Itinera, Mr. Robson, of Warrington, in a
letter addressed to the secretary, giving detailed objections
to the one (the 7th) on which the paper was founded.
WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—At the weekly meeting,
on Wednesday, the salary of Miss Carter, the matron, was
unanimously increased from £25 to £4O a-year. A me-
morial was ordered to be sent to the Treasury, praying for
the liberation of a man imprisoned for smuggling tobacco,
whose family cost the township of Toxteth-park 10s.
a week. An application having been received from Bees-
ton Mill, a silk factory near Altrincham, for a supply of
at antdi oftatcew tau
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fifty or a hundred young females, it was stated that there
were 36 in the house suitable for the purpose, and a
establishmentdepu-
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squabbling took
ing respecting a pract,o Mr. Shaw and Mr.. Bunt-
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remarking that Such =mealy COnduct brou-sb. ladnall
the Wards Oa

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.—The mem-
bers met, on Monday evening, at the Royal Institution,
J. B. Yates, Esq. in the chair. The Rev. J. Howson,
principal of the Collegiate Institution, was elected a mem-
ber. Dr. D. P. Thomson, the secretary, communicated
some information respecting Osler's anenometer, and the
peculiar character of the astronomical observations made
at the Liverpool observatory by Mr. Hartnup. The pre-
sident exhibited to the society a specimen of the lace-tree
from the West Indies. Mr. Edwin Higgin exhibited a
fine specimen of the ,tutus natans or sargassum natans,
the " gulf-weed," found so abundantly in the Atlantic as
to cover an area, according to Humboldt, of more than
260,000 square miles. An interesting conversation fol-
lowed on the depth at which this seaweed grows. Dr.
Ihne read an, interesting and valuable paper upon the
historical parallel between the Roman senate and the
English parliament.

_ .
EARLY CLOSING.—A general meeting of the retail
traders of the town, convened by John Holmes, Esq.,
the Mayor, was held in the Clarendon-rooms, on Tues-
day, to consider the desirableness of adopting the resolu-
tions agreed to at the recent public meeting in the Music-
hall. The chief one urged that all shops should be closed
at six o'clock during the four winter months, and at seven
o'clock in the evening during the remainder of the year.
The chair was occupied by the Mayor, who stated that,
from all he could learn, the proposition for closing at six
would not meet with general approval. Letters were read
from Mr. J. Cripps, Mr. Flower, Messrs. Frisby, Dyke,
and Co., and Messrs. R. and H. Anderson. These let-
ters were, on the whole, unfavourable to the movement
for closing at six being carried out at present. Mr. J. R.
Jeffery went at some length into the question of early
closing, and concluded by expressing his opinion that,
until the public were better prepared for it, six o'clock
closing was impracticable, but it might be accomplished
by degrees. He believed that, by considerable effort.
unanimity might be got in closing at seven. (Applause.)
After some observations from Mr. T. Haywood and Mr.
Dear, the Mayor put it to the meeting whether they ap-
proved of six o'clock closing :in winter; but not a single
hand was held up. " Seven" was then proposed, and
unanimously carried. Mr. Gibson, jun., of Ranelagh-
street, suggested that the movement would never be
successful till the public markets closed simultaneously
with the shops. It was agreed to memorialise the Mar-
kets Committee of the Town Council on the subject.
Mr. Briscoe and Mr. Woollright each addressed the
meeting. They would gladly agree to close in winter at
seven ; but the latter gentleman gave it strongly as his
opinion that it would be utterly impracticable to close
earlier than eight in summer. The proceedings termi-
nated with a vote of thanks to the Mayor.
BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.—TiIe usual weekly
meeting was held on Tuesday. Mr. Bryans, the vice-
chairman, occupied the chair. It appeared that various
residents about Claughton-park wished that some private
watchmen who had been appointed, should be placed un-
der the surveillance of Mr. M`Harg, the superintendent
of the Birkenhead police. The committee had reported
against the application. Mr. Green objected to this deci-
sion, and moved that that part of the proceedings be re-
ferred back. This was seconded by Mr. Rae, and carried
by a majority of one. A letter from the railway surveyor
shewed that the various bridges in the township which the
railway company were bound to build had been now com-
pleted, and an opinion from Mr. Waln, the law clerk, was
read, to the effect that the railway company would be
compelled to keep the bridges and the roads over them in
sufficient repair. It appeared that the working expenses
for keeping the.park in order, &c., amounted, in the year
ending the 2cl of August, to £372 10s. The surveyor re-
ported that the probable expenditure on the public high-
ways, inclusive of the necessary surface drainage, would
amount, from the last month till October, 1851, to £1,475.
The expense of lowering the levels of the Corporation-
road, so as to make them conform to the streets adjoin.
ing, Mr. Watson stated would devolve upon the Dock
Trustees. The proceedings were confirmed.—Mr. Rae
said he had remarked that, for the last few weeks, there
had been endless applications for new stalls in the mar-
ket. He wished to know whether the vacant space in the
market was now anything like filled ? Mr. Goiborne re-
plied that there was very little vacant space now, and that
one or two of the shops only were now to let. The mar-
ket
now produced a larger income than ever it did. Last
week it was £26.—The Finance Committee had, during
the month, transacted no business of public moment ; but
it appeared from one entry that the Treasurer of the
County Court claims a right to the gratuitous use of the
Town-hall for the purpose of Mr. Harden's sittings.—For
the month ending the 31st October last the receipts from
the ferry had been £1,852, against £1,597 in 1849. The
total receipts from the 23d of April, 1849, had been
£11,125 • in the half-year since the 23d of April, 1850,
they had £12,733, thus sheaving an increase of ten
per cent. From the 23d of April till the 31st of October i
last the expenditure on account of the ferry had been only
£9,916.—Mr. Waln read a memorial which he had drawn
up to the Marquis of Westminster, as Lord Lieutenant of
the County, shewing the necessity which exists for the
appdintment of an additional magistrate to Birkenhead.
The memorial was agreed to.
Docx COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—The Secretary read
the report of the surveyor, who had been instructed to
make inquiry as to the accommodation to be afforded to
the coal trade. The surveyors had made themselves ac-
quainted with the principal coal ports in the north, and
considered tbat the system pursued at Glasgow, by means
of hydraulic cranes, was a very efficient one. After re-
viewing the various suggestions advanced by the Wigan
Coal Association, the report states that when the system
of railways round the docks is matured, hydraulic cranes
could be introduced, by which many of those suggestions
could be met. This would be found to be the cheapest
and most advantageous mode of shipping coal, not only
at the north, but at the south division of the docks. The
report concludes with a statement that the surveyors are
not prepared to advise the committee to encumber the
docks with'high level stages, and, if such were allowed at
all, they should be at the expense of the parties requiring
them. After some conversation it was agreed to print
the report, but to defer its consideration for the present.
—An application for the erection of a smithy at the Hus-
kisson Dock, for the accommodation of large steamers,
was allowed, subject to a plan submitted by the surveyor.
—A recommendation was made by the sub-committee of
works as to the erection of additional sheds round the
docks. It was agreed that the sheds should be proceeded
with immediately at the north and south docks, and the
secretary was directed to obtain the contracts.—lt was
reported that the moorings of the Formby lightship,
lately run foul of by a vessel, bad been picked up. One-
third the value was awarded to those who had recovered
them.—lt was ordered that tenders be obtained for sup-
plying three thousand gallons of oil for the lighthouses
for use during the next half-year.—Patrick Cropper was
appointed master of the Liverpool lifeboat, in place of
John Murphy, discharged.—A sum of £lO was awarded
to the keeper of the Leasowe lighthouse for damage done
to his crops of potatoes, &c., in consequence of the over-
flow of the sea during the late gale.—A letter was read
from Mr. G. Butter, on behalf of the Board of Ordnance,
relative to a payment of £4OOO due to the dock trustees,
on account of the river wall. The amount could not be
paid this year, as" the Board of Ordnance had no funds."
(Laughter.) They would, however, make provision in
the future estimates, and the claim would be settled when
the money was voted by Parliament.—Captain Evans re-
ported that he had made inquiry into the circumstances
of the collision between one of the ferry steamers and a
mud flat belonging to the Dock Trust, and lie considered
the (rust was liable for the amount of twelve guineas.
Ho offered some important suggestions as to a better
mode of towing the flats in future.—A letter from Messrs.
Feilden Brothers, relative to the mode of giving graving-
dock accommodation, was referred to the Harbour-mas-
, ters' Committee.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,

On Fridaythe shop-boy of Mr. Maddy, hosier, Newing-
ton, was committed for trial charged with having robbed
his master of articles worth £2O.
On Wednesday a man who had been found amusing
himself by climbing up different lamp-post and extin-
guishing the lights was placed at the bar. Mr. Wybergh
remarked that the case was unprovided for by the Act of
Parliament. He read the section, which recited that, if
any person should break, damage, throw down, or other-
wise destroy any lamp, &c., certain penalties, named in
the statute, should be imposed, but it left unprovided the
case of lamps being extinguished. The prisoner was
discharged.

AN INFORMER AT FAULT.—Mary Ann Foster, who
keeps a shop at 33, Old Haymarket, appeared before the
magistrates on Wednesday, to answer the complaint of
William Atkinson, a common informer, for having sold
certain combustibles and fireworks, contrary to the sta-
tute in that case made and provided. Mr. Wybergh said,
the present was an information under an old Act of Par-
liament, so far back as 1698, and it charged that the de-
fendant unlawfully uttered and offered for sale, and did
sell, certain fireworks, &c. ; it contained a joinder of two
offences, and therefore it could not be sustained, all such
informations being rendered void by the llth and 12th
Victoria, which enacted that every warrant, information,
&c., should charge one offence only. Mr. Rushton, to
the informer : "What do you say to this ?" Informer :
" I'll withdraw it, and amend it." Mr. Rushton ; "No,
you will not. You receive a moiety of the fine, as a com-
mon informer, do you not ?" Informer : " Yes." Mr.
Rushton : " Then you have ascertained that ' a little
learning is a dangerous thing.' The information is bad.
Acquitted. (Loud laughter.) The expenses to the in-
former are 4s. Gd., independent of lost time and punc-
tured feelings.
THE LIVERPOOL PLATE ROBBERIES.—Martin Maguire,
who our readers will remember was brought up a short
time ago, charged with being a party concerned in the
late extensive plate robberies, and discharged, was placed
in the Police dock, on Friday, charged with receiving a
gold watch, knowing it to have been stolen. Police-
officer Johnson stated that, from information he received,
he went to Wrexham, and from there to Chester, where
he and Bates, a detective officer, saw the prisoner go into
a public-house; they followed him, and on searching him
found £lO and a silver watch, also some keys. They
then brought him to Liverpool. On his first apprehen-
sion the officer found at his lodgings (Moore's, Wood-st.)
in one of his drawers, a pawn ticket for a gold watch.
The watch was redeemed, and found to have the number
and name erased ; it was taken to a watchmaker, who
said it had been made in Coventry. An officer was sent
to that town, and he found out that it had been made
by a watchmaker named Hill, for Mr. Bolena, a jeweller,
at Halifax, whose shop was broken into on the 14th of
July, and robbed of property to the amount of about
£1,51)0. The prisoner was remanded for seven days.
CHARGE OF ROBBERY.—OR Thursday, at the Police-
office, two young men, known to the police, named John
Hogan and William Campbell, were charged by Captain
Wylie, of the brig_Maria, lying in the Queen's Dock., with
robbing him of £30.. It appeared that Hogan (w'ao is a
married man, and whose wife, "presenting the (emblem
of a doublo..figure," was in court during the iv.vestip.
Lion;,) 50mastbree weeks op managed to form ID WAWA

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.