The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-11-14 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

our readers with a lithographic engraving of a plan,
.as requested us to use our in-
adopted, with some little alterations in detail, by the with shipping in Great Britain.
-Lass of persons to which he belongs Commissioners of Birkenhead, by whom it is pro-
The most important question, however, arising
,sting as their brethren in Manchester
posed to form upon the site of Wallasey Pool a wet out of this project, for a Liverpool community to
ith respect to the weekly half-holiday. We shall be
glad to do all we can to forward the views of our corres- dock and outer tidal basin extending, from a sea consider, is its probable effect upon. property on this
pondent, who states that amongst those who have op- Sea- side of the river. Are we to view the proposed
wall to be built across from Woodside Ferry to
posed this boon there is scarcely one member of the
Church of England. combe, as far as Poulton Bridge, and affording a docks in Wallasey Pool as rivals to our own docks,
ILLEGALLITY OF LENDING OUT NEWSPAPERS FOR clear water space of no less than one hundred and or only as an adjunct, and a necessary adjunct, to
HIRE.—A notice has come into our hands of which the
fifty-seven acres. To this scheme the assent, and, our property and trade ? Undoubtedly, if we were
following is a copy. " The proprietor of the grocery
esta
blishment, 6, Laurel-street, begs respectfully to we are told indeed, the strongest assurances of sup- to place unbounded confidence in the flattering cal-
acquaint the ladies and gentlemen of the neighbourhood
Port, have already been given by the Board of Ad- culations upon the subject, with which Mr. Jackson
that they can be accommodated, at their residence, with
the reading of the newspapers mentioned on the other miralty, in whom is now vested the conservancy of entertained the commissioners of Birkenhead ;if we
side, at one penny per hour, and they will be sold at
the river ; and the requisite plans are preparing for could believe that seven-tenths of the foreign imports
half-price on the second day after their date." Vi,'e
must take this opportunity of informing " the proprietor an immediate, and it is scarcely doubted, a succes- of Liverpool go up the river Mersey to the manufac-
of this grocery establishment "and other similar per- ful application to parliament. turing districts, or that five-tenths, or even three-
sons, that they are guilty of an offence against the law
on every occasion that they thus lend out papers at a That this proposed conversion, by our enterprising tenths, are ever likely to do so, without entering the
penny or any other price per hour. We pay the gov- neighbours, of a property so 'ong kept unproductive docks of Liver should say that the injury
ernment for our stamp, and in return we have protec- p
tion, so far that we can legally punish those persons in the hands of the Corporation of Liverpool, has inflicted, by the proposed scheme, upon those docks
who thus trade upon our labours and outlay. " The
proprietor " had better let us catch him at this dishon-
startled our fellow townsmen, we doubt not. The and the property of the town, must be great, and
'
eat game, which we can assure him has been carried on magnificence and vast extent of its design—the pro- that it ought to be regarded with jealousy and alarm.
so long, with impunity, at the expense of newspaper ject of forming at once in one grand scheme, an We cannot, however, entertain the entire truth of
proprietors, as to exhaust all the merciful toleration
with which nature has endowed us. area of dock space greater than that which a century these calculations, and we are, therefore, disposed
A SEASONABLE HINT.—It has been suggested to us that of toil and enterprise, and millions of expenditure, to regard the scheme of the commissioners of Bir-
the Blue Coat c
it would be well
hildto calrenl ,
tfor whom the usual he attention of the Fsermon is riends of have been required to obtain on this side of the kenhead as one subsidiary to the growing prosperity
to be preached on Sunday next, at St. Peter's Church, Mersey—may well have tempted sober and reflecting and greatness of Liverpool, rather than as a rival.
and of the authorities, to the benefit likely to accrue to men to exclaim and injurious roject.
the Charity by the Church room not being unduly oc- p
cupied, prior to the arrival of the Mayor, and the gentle- " The earth hath bubbles, as the water bath ; And we are justified in arriving at this conclusion.
men who usually accompany him to church on the first And this is of them ! " We have already said that the chief trades likely to
Sunday after his election. We are credibly informed
Theopponents of dock ex tension on our own strand be accommodated on the Cheshire side of the river
that, on the occasion of the present Mayor's election, opp
the church was so inconveniently crowded, that many are chuckling in ill-concealed delight, and pointing •re the coasting trade and steam vessels. The for-
of the friends who accompanied him could not find sit-
maliciously to warehouse owners and others as the mer paw no anpi. a.,.., and the increase of the latter
ting room, and did not attend the service, by which
-- no doubt many donations were lost. The circumstancespthorc, ..F ,1-... •—,,---- --- . .t_- r. - ~.....try us •is sufficiently rapid to warrant us in the supposition
map probably car iverpool, whilst crotcheteers of every sort point to that we are never likely to have fewer vessels to se an unusual number- of friends to '
ac-
accompany him to St. Peters ; and it would be ex- it and mutter " there—we told you it would come commodate on this side of the river than we have at
tremely desirable, and tend materially to advance the to this • you refused to expend your surplus mil- the present moment. A portion of this trade, from
object of the sermon, which is to be preached by our '
worthy rector, if such visitors could be conveniently lions in our pet warehouses around your quays, and its very nature, we must always have. Again, we
accommodated. Of course it would he the last thing in are now about to a the
you
our thoughts to even suggest a hindrance to parents
and relatives of these poor orphan children being present and obstinacy !" Timid men who love their " good of vessels loading for, or discharging from, foreign
on such an occasion, naturally anxious as they must be old town' "
for the welfare of those they love ; but to others less in- which has the misfortune of being ports, whatever may be the amount of facilities af-
terested we would suggest that mere curiosity, and even " built on the wrong side of the river," are already forded, or the comparative cheapness, on the Che-
a reasonable degree of interest, ought to give way when gazing, in fancy, upon its grass grown streets, and shire side. To secure a profitable general cargo for
they interfere with the exercise of active benevolence.
deserted Custom House; whilst another class are any foreign port, the best paying portion of which
not wanting who resolutely shut their eyes to the consists of fine merchandise and valuable produce,
possibility of injury from any quarter, and sneer and deposited in our warehouses, or arriving by railway
hug themselves, by turns, into a state of thought- or canal, and contributed by, perhaps, forty or fifty
less blessedness. different houses, a vessel can only load advantage-
In none of these moods do we approach the con- ously upon this side of the river; and to discharge
,t has been, indeed, a week of wonders. sideration of a question, the most important which, such a cargo, which has to be distributed through
rhis great port has contrived to exist for six whole for half a century, has presented itself as a topic of so many channels into the interior, the docks of Li-
days—not certainly without a Mayor, but—without local interest. We have acknowledged that the verpool must continue to be used. For all foreign
Finance Committee, Watch Committee, Dock Com- tactics of our Cheshire neighbours—partaking shipping, in fact, containing cargoes which require
mittee, or any other Committees ; and in this de- somewhat too much of strategy to be pleasing to classification, and are likely to be taken off by differ-
fenceless position we have had dealt upon our heads, straightforward men,—have brought before us the ent channels for consumption in the interior, the
from the opposite shores of the Mersey, an astound- subject of docks on the Cheshire shore a little sooner i Lancashire side of the river will undoubtedly be
ing blow, which might almost have been expected than we anticipated; but from the time that—thanks chosen, notwithstanding any moderate amount of
to submerge in one watery ruin our docks, shipping, to Mr. Alderman Evans and his party—we gave up saving in•dues from using the docks at Wallasey.
warehouses, and the Town-hall itself ! And yet we the privileges of Liverpool—the conservancy of the I We are not indeed without some hopes that the
are all alive, and most of us merry ! The tide is river and the right to dues upon both sides—in ex- ahsorbtion, by these docks, of the most unprofitable
still marked at the Old Dock sill as correctly as change for the indulgenceof 1
their warehouse trot- T portion of the shipping, which crowds to inconve-
ever ; and the Council meets this day—has screwed seht, we have cbeen prepared for its approach. We nience the docks of Liverpool, will be even beneficial,
up its courage to meet—in our Town-hall, to take are therefore,
ready,
now to discuss it calmly, and I ' by facilitating the operations both of loading and
up the broken threads of its last Thursday's inter- we trust to express an honest and a well-matured ' unloading, and thus attracting business to our port
Tup ted labours, without fear of falling roof and •
opinion as to the probable effects of this scheme which is occasionally driven from it by the delays
upon the interests of the community on both sides which are constantly occurring. We shall have also,
of the river. on the other side of the river, a constant depot of
In another part of our paper we have given a full heavy freight—coals, slates, salt, &c.,—to be re-
description of the details of the plan adopted, and I sorted to at an hour's notice, with ample room in
which we this day present to our readers. With a l our cleared docks for bringing it alongside whenever
I
few alterations, it is that proposed in 1837, and , wanted, instead of, as at present, seeing vessels
made public, by the late Wm. Laird, Esq. ; and requiring immediate despatch compelled to wait, for
therefore, if the Dock Estate be injured by its being days, the arrival of such freight and the necessary
carried out, we have at least no rigbt to complain accommodation for taking it on board.
that we are taken by surprise as to the capabilities of i Upon the ground, therefore, of any supposed
the locality. It consists, in brief, of an outer tidal' injury to be inflicted upon the Dock Estate
basin, with an area of 37 acres of water space, andi by this project, we can discern little reason for
an inner dock, extending up the pool to Poulton, jealousy, or fear, on our part; and still less for
containing an area of 120 acres. The disposal of any opposition on the part of the Dock Trustees.
the adjoining land, and the erection of ship-builders' 1 It may indeed drive these authorities a little earlier
yards, graving-docks, warehouses, &c., are left to j than they would willingly be driven, to consider
private enterprise. From the profit to arise from the propriety of a revision of our present high
the sale of this land, it is anticipated—too san- ! scale of dock rates ; but to us such a result
guinely we fear—that the total cost of the formation will not be one at all to be grieved over. A con-
of the main works will be furnished; and that ulti- sideration for the prosperity of the port has long re-
mately the whole will be thrown open to the coin- quired such a measure; and although an immediate
merce of the river, free of any dock rates, except resort to it may peril the magnificent warehouse
such as may be absolutely necessary to defray the ' schemes of some gentlemen, we would not have it
expense of working. retarded on the ground of any benefit promised us
Before proceeding to examine the probable effects by the promoters of such schemes. If additional
of the carrying out of the above scheme upon the warehouses upon our quays are to be of advantage
various interests on this side of the Mersey, we shall to us, they will pay of themselves, without trenching
briefly glance at its general operation, so far as the upon the surplus revenue of the Dock Estate. At
commerce of the entire port is concerned. There all events their construction ought
can be no question as to the vast usefulness, to tLe to interfere with the utmost • practicable measure of
shipping frequenting the port of Liverpool, of a reduction .of the general rates of
the port.
sheltered harbour, 36 acres in extent, on the wind- It may he, too, that the immediate prospect of
ward side of the river, accessible at all times of the increased dock accommodation on the Cheshire side
tide, and containing twelve feet of water at the lowest of the river may cast a new light upon the subject
tides. Into this refuge most of our sea-going steam- of the recent purchases of land on the north and
ers will undoubtedly run, and, in stormy weather, south of the existing docks of Liverpool. We have
a great number of our inward-bound sailing vessels, little idea, however, that it can militate materially
instead of, as at present, anchoring in the river until against the propreity of these purchases. The
able to get safely into dock on this side. For many trade of the port is advancing in a ratio quite suffi-
of the former the pool will in future present a most cient of itself to warrant the steps already taken to
eligible place for discharging and loading, connected, provide for it ; and the proposed Cheshire docks
as it will be, with a great portion of the south of can only tend to give an additional and, we may
England by a railway running down to the water's add, an almost incalculable impetus to that increase.
edge, and with Liverpool by a ferry, the time of Another question may suggest itself, with respect to
crossing which rarely occupies more than five or six to the probable effect upon the navigation of the
minutes, and which may, accordingly, be said to be river of a sea wall being erected at the mouth of the
nearer to the centre of the town than any of our ex- Wallasey Pool. To this, however, a very brief an-
isting steam docks. By the facilities thus afforded, swer will suffice. The fact of the cordial concur-
and an acceleration of the railway trains, as pro- rence of the Admiralty, as conservators, proves that
posed for Holyhead, it is calculated that the corn- no fear is entertained by them on the subject; and
munication between Dublin and London may be by very competent local authorities, whom we have
made within sixteen hours, no detention occurring consulted upon this point, we find a very general
in landing or embarking, and that the mails between impression entertained that such a wall will have the
Glasgow and London may be delivered in, at the 1 effect of clearing the banks at the mouth of the river,
most (except in boisterous weather), twenty-four ; and removing in part the tendency of the present
hours. It is also stated—we believe on official au- wash of the tide to create deposits on the Liverpool
thority—that, on the completion of this scheme, we strand. In particular it is expected that such a
of the flow tide
wall will tendpi tko. throw
B the current,
aprobably
may look for that important boon, which we have
Bank, anti in time
have
et on uc ington hitherto sought in vain, viz., the transfer of the
the effect of removing entirely that dangerous
West India steam fleet from Southampton to the and growing obstruction of the river.
Mersey. A few words, in conclusion, with respect to the
The capabilities and usefulness of the inner or in- advantages to be derived by the people of Cheshirethemselves from the successful carrying out of this
closed dock, with its large area of 120 acres, al-
project. We hare no space, and indeed scarcely
though infinitely less, in our humble opinion, than data at present, for inquiry into the probability of
the sanguine views of our Cheshire friends at pre- its attainment at the cost which is contemplated.
sent lead them to anticipate, must undoubtedly be Should that cost, however, be doubled. we can see
great. As a dock of general resort for loading or
nothing but benefit to arise to the enterprising com-
munity on the opposite side of the river, from the
discharging sea-going vessels, we do not expect to great increase which must be given to all property
see it much used ; but for a great portion of the in the neighbourhood, a considerable portion of
coasting trade, for laying up vessels on sale, and which, it must be remembered, still belongs to the
for steamers of every description to load and dis-
Corporation of Liverpool, and may be sold, no
charge cargo, it undoubted)
doubt, at largely increased prices, whenever the
Y offers great facilities. Finance Committee may decide upon the step. In-
Some portion of the timber trade, too, may be dividuals of an over speculative turn may be in-
accommodated, and, by the construction of ware- juriously deceived in their anticipations of advan-
tage. The mass, however, must be benefitted ; and
at such a consummation why should we repine ?
houses, or fireproof sheds, by the Manchester
River Companies, cargoes of corn, and of cotton
Although a trifling water space divides us from the
even, may be discharged on that side, and return people of Cheshire, we are one community, engaged
freights of iron, coal, salt, &c., with passengers, in common pursuits and with common and mutual
be taken in. The chief use, however, of such interests.Birkenbe a
dO. Our nobled if it er river
eisof t Liverpool,.v rasit is
a dock must be for the accommodation of the ship- any honest effort be fostered and extended,ri e
wcea n
shallb by
building, repairing, engineering, and other trades all ultimately share in the benefit. Birkenhead can
connected with the shipping of the port, and the never be Liverpool; and Liverpool, with a prospect
manufactures of the adjoining districts ; and by the
of
neighbour being fully developed, bids, at this Imo-
the resources and natural advantages of her
erection of yards, slips, graving docks, &c., upon its ment, more fair than at any previous period of her
quays, this side of the river
may ultimately become history, to be ranked as the leading port of the em_
the principal locality for those branches of business pire, and, indeed, of the world.
which require convenient water facilities, and, in-
stead of the bulk of the repairs and building of this
port being driven away to other localities; the N ler-

TO CORRESPONDENTS,

sive locality for ever;

branch of trade connected

Attorney's Clerk
to ninno the. n

on the san

rafters

The proceedings at this meeting we shall give in

Tond edition

Our business is now briefly to
remark upon the very extraordinary source from

which ha

flowed so extraordinary a state of our

The circumstances which have given rise to the
present anomalous position of the town's affairs are
briefly these :—A very decided feeling on the part
of the Conservative majority of the Council had
pointed out Mr. Sands, the member for Exchange
Ward, as the gentleman worthy to fill the office of
Mayor for the ensuing year; and on Thursday last
the Council met, according to the requirements of
the Municipal Act, to make the appointment, and
afterwards to elect the various committees. On the
previous Monday, however,—prompted, as to the
particular period of his communication, by what

nfluences we know not, and certainly we are not

prepared to impute motives of a personal nature on
the part of Mr. Corrie,—a letter was addressed by
that gentleman to the Mayor, in which it was stated
" a practice had prevailed for a long time past
Sands and Co. of entering
the packages of manufactured goods exported by
them, such as cottons, woollens, &c., almost inva-

in the office of Messrs

ably as trusses and boxes, rarely entering any as
ales, cases ~nests; thus making them charge-
ble only ith the lower rate of town-dues, the dif-

bales, cases, or

3rence of rate on those packages, respectively,
aeing Id. each." On his first knowledge of such
an imputation, Mr. Sands laid the whole case before
ing upon their advice and his

his friends

own honourable impulse, upon the proposition of
his name on Thursday for the office of Mayor, at
once intimated his determination not to accept such
office, however highly he rated the honour proposed
to be conferred upon him in its bestowal, until he
should be able, by submitting to a full investigation
into the nature of the charge alleged, to stand clearly
exonerated in the eyes of his fellow-citizens. The
result of that declaration was, that, pending such
investigation, the Council decided to postpone their
choice of Mayor by an adjournment ; and the sub-
ject will, therefore, come before them for ultimate

In the meantime, as suggested at the Council
meeting, a committee of merchants sate on Friday
last, Wm. Brown, Esq. in the chair, for the purpose
of investigating the facts upon which the charge of
Mr. Corrie was founded. The resolutions of that
meeting, by which the character of the house of
Messrs. Sands, Turner, and Co. was completely
cleared of every imputation of dishonour, will be
found in another column. Upon this result being
known, a meeting of the friends of Mr. Sands was
called, which took place yesterday, at which the fol-

owing additional resolutions were unanimously

come to

" Resolved :—That this meeting having already fully
exonerated Messrs. Sands, Turner, and Co., from the
charges brought against them in Mr. Corrie's letter of
the 6th November, is unanimously of opinion that Mr.
Sands should withdraw his objection to being nominated
as Mayor for the present year.
(Signed'

WM. BROWN,
Chairman of the Meeting."
" Resolved :—That the chairman and members of the
committee wait upon Mr. Sands with the above resolu-
WM. BROWN."

Signed

To the deputation thus appointed, the reply of
Mr. Sands was that he consented to be nominated
for the office of Mayor ; and we have no doubt th-at
his election will be carried this day by a large ma-
jority, if not unanimously. And, so indeed, it ought
Independently of the great merit of Mr.
Sands as a public man, we feel assured that the Con-
servative members of the Council will be prepared
to mark their sense of the injustice which any other
course might tend to cast upon his honour, by a
ready and hearty adoption of his claims to the dis-
tinguished position, in which it is within their power

ace him

In our last publication, whilst referring to the re-
cent sale, by the Finance Committee, of a portion of
their Wallasey Estate, we expressed an opinion that
the period was less remote than was generally sup-
posed, when the people of Liverpool might be com-
pelled to look towards the opposite shore of the
Mersey, in search of accommodation for the in-
creasing shipping of the port. At that time we
were certainly not aware that the question had ar-
rived so near maturity. It is now, however, before

We have remarked elsewhere upon the circum-
stances which have left, as it were, in abeyance the
office of mayor and the choosing of the various
committees, by whom are regulated the local affairs
of this town. Upon these, therefore,
here nothing to say. But upon some matters con

sey will t

ered the cheapest and most exten-

blication of this day we present

we have

s opinion

nected with the case, as between Mr. Sands, in
common with other merchants of the port, and the
town dues office, there are a few points upon which
the present crisis affords us fair opportunity for re-
mark, and of which we gladly avail ourselves.
Mr. Sands was accused of having evaded the
payment of town dues, inasmuch as he had entered
as trusses what were in reality bales, and as boxes
what were in reality cases, thereby paying only half
the rates which were properly payable. Now the
first questions which present themselves are—
" What is a truss ? what is a bale ?—what is a box ?
what is a case ?" Obviously, it will be said, a truss
is a small bale, and a box a small case. The regu-
lations of the town office say that for a truss only
half-rates are payable, and for a box only half-rates.
But who is to say where the term " truss" is
limited, and where the term "bale" commences; or
where the term " box" merges into the term "case ?"
We have had some little experience in these mat-
ters ; and we never knew that there was any very
distinct border line to separate the one from the
other. A haberdasher's phrase would call that a
bale or a case which a general merchant's would
call a truss or a box. The terms, in fact, are in their
application entirely capricious—dependant upon the
circumstances of the party shipping, and the value
of the goods shipped ; and the absurdity of attempt-
ing to establish any distinction between them is
sufficiently shewn by the fact that the differential
rates have for some years been abandoned by the
Dock Committee.

We will give an instance or two in proof of the
inutility of such differential rates, and of the impos-
sibility of founding a charge of moral turpitude on
the ground of thier non-observance. In our South
American and some other trades, we export, say a bale
of printed calicoes, bleached cambrics, or any other
similar articles. And how are these packed ? Why,
in nine cases out of ten, we put some dozen or
twenty trusses into one hooped bale, in order that,
on arrival, they may be sold in ready-packed parcels
of a size suitable for transport on mules to the inte-
rior. Or, in the case of yarns, we do the same, that
She numbers may be conveniently separated for pur-
chasers. Is it a moral offence that we thus endea-
vour to provide facilities for our trade in South
America and many other of our markets ? Not at
all. We don't look at the paltry penny or halfpenny
saved in town dues. The extra cost of packing, of
itself, costs us twenty times the difference. The
goods are packed to suit the particular trade of a
particular market; and yet by packing twenty small
trusses in one large bale we injure the town revenue
ten times as much as by shipping one bale as a
truss.

Again, with respect to the difference between
" boxes" and "cases :" hots often does it happen
that a " case" contains many " boxes." If we ex-
port laces, nets, sewing cottons, and other similar
descriptions of merchandise, we probably—and if
we .send an assortment, most frequently—enclose
half-a-dozen " boxes" in one case." Why, in
doing so, we defraud the town estate of its dues,
because half-a-dozen boxes would have been liable
to more than one case. But such is the course of
trade. Goods are so shipped, and must continue to
be so shipped; and merchants and forwarding bro-
kers, who do not know that they are offending, are
doing so every day that they carry on, honestly as
they believe and honestly in reality, their ordinary
business.

Of course this is not precisely the way in which
Messrs. Sands and Co. were reported to have of-
fended. Hundreds, however, do so offend against
the letter of the law, as regards our town and dock
dues. But, in addition to this, it would have been
only charitable, before founding a grave charge
against a respectable firm, to have borne in mind
one or two circumstances. In the first place, a
merchant or a forwarding agent, in ninety-nine
cases out of a hundred, knows nothing whether the
packages he is forwarding be cases or boxes, bales
or trusses, supposing these terms to have any defi-
nite meaning, except as he is advised by his consti-
tuents; and, in the next place, he has much too
little controul over the actions of the clerks who
make his entries. He has no check on either side.
He does not know what the Town-office calls a hale
or a case, or what his clerks choose to interpret by
these cabalistic terms. He is at the mercy of his
own employees, who perhaps have never seen the
packages in question ; of the consignees, who have
given their own erroneous interpretvtion of them;
and of Mr. Corrie, who may call that " a bale" which
other men call a " truss," and that a " case" which
other men call a "box."

The only remedy which we can suggest for the
difficulties certain to arise from such a state of
things, is the adoption, by the Council, of the re-
commendation of the Committee of Merchants, held
on Friday, and at once give up the attempt to esta-
blish any differential scale of rates upon packages
not clearly definable. It is due to the merchants of
the port that they should not be continually ren-
dered liable to have their personal integrity and ho-
nour impeached, without having within their reach
the power of protecting themselves from the scandal.
The present scale of dock rates, we may remark, is
grossly unequal, and the whole requires revision.
To this subject, however, we shall take another op-
portunity of directing the attention of the Council.

TRAITORS IN THE CONSERVATIVE CAMP ;

OR SPIES.

We do not imagine that the Conservative members
of our Council are much in the habit of perusing a paper
so thoroughly popish, and withal so trashy, as the Liver-
pool Journal. We therefore offer no apology for bring-
ing before their notice the following paragraph, which
appeared, on Saturday last, in an article headed " Notes
on the Council Meeting by one who was present."
" The inquiry kept the Town-hall in a bustle all the
week ; and, on Wednesday, another gathering of the
tories took place in North John-street. It was the
"fiery caucus." Mr. Sands could not, or would not, be
Mayor. The conservative democracy rejoiced exceed-
ingly; for then Mr. Alderman Lawrence would be Mayor.
By no means, said the aristocrats; the Chairman of the
Finance Committee has the best title. High words en-
sued ; much noise prevailed ; and, on a division, 17 voted
for the alderman, and 11 for his opponent, making 29
present. The absent refused to be bound by this preli-
minary division, and the minority most gallantly came nem.
con. to the same eentlennanlv and correct resolution. I
may vouch for all this, for I have it from more than a
dozen of those who were present."
Now, either the passage which we have marked in
Italics is a piece of impertinent puppyism, and the whole
of the facts detailed by this scribbler are purely suppo-
sititious ; or " more than a dozen" Conservative members
of the Council have been pandering to the malicious cu-
riosity of Radicalism, and betraying the proceedings of
a private meeting of their own party. If they have
done the latter, they will of course be able to point to
the party who thus worms himself into their confidence
for the purpose of giving to the public their innocent ad-
missions, and shnn him for the future. They must now
know him !

We are however inclined to doubt somewhat that any
dozen conservatives can have been so indiscreet as thus to
pour their secrets into the ear of a caterer of gossip for the
Radical and Popish press. How then can such gossip have
found its way into the columns of the Journal, unless
we entertain the supposition that it has been manufac-
tured? Is there any eaves dropping corporate official
by whom the bye-conversation of the members of any
Committee can be given to the world ? Is any paid
servant of the Corporation the contributor to the col-
umns of the Journal, or perhaps more directly still aiding
to prop up its feeble and flickering existence ? These
questions must be answered and the doubts of the pub-
lic cleared up. A conservative community will not
long tolerate a connexion, even the slightest, of any of
their paid servants with a paper which can print even
from its " correspondents at Rome," such seditious and
tnsolent stuff as this, which purports to be the substance
of a conversation between such correspondent and the
Pope's Nuncio.

" He then asked me had I heard any news from Ire-
land, or was it likely that the prosecution against O'Con-
nell would be followed up. I then replied it was not likely,
but certain.

" Well then, said he, he will never be condemned. All
Europe knows that he has violated no law. I said that
that was quite evident, but that we had in Ireland a bad
species of Protestants, called orangemen, of which the
jury would be composed, inasmuch as the government
had the appointment of the sheriff, the sheriff had the
selection of the jury, and that when a Catholic came to
be tried before such juries, he was sure to be found
guilty, no matter how slight the evidence, or unfounded
the charge might be. _

" Hie eminence turned up his eyes to heaven, and ex-
claimed, God help the poor Irish ; God will protect
O'Connell, for he has truth and liberty on his side—he
has always been the apostle of peace."

Surely, anything more directly tending to bring into
contempt the laws and to inflame the passions of an ig-
norant population can scarcely be conceived, than this
passage in a journal, whose contributors boast of their
intimacy with " more than a dozen" of the Conservative
Members of our Council.

DINNER AT THE TOWN-FIALL.—The Mayor gave his
last civic banquet at the Town-hall, on the evening of
Tuesday last, upon which occasion he entertained the
Earl of Sefton, the Hon. Mr. Kenyon, the Hon. Bootle
Wilbraham, and a distinguished party,

ACCELERATION OF THE MAILS BETWEEN
ENGLAND AND THE EAST INDIES.

We have received a pamphlet on this important sub -
ject, by Lieut. Wagborn, R.N., a gentleman to whom
the public is much indebted for his successful endeavours
in promoting the-overland route to India, in its earliest
stages ; and he now propounds a plan for the acceleration
of the Indian mails by that route, once a fortnight. He
furnishes some interesting statistics of voyages already
made, as the groundwork of his propositions. With re-
spect to the Calcutta line, he suggests that the Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company should continue
their ships (the Hindostan and Bentinck) according to
their arrangement with the East India Company in 1841,
and that the latter body should set aside one of their
steamers of 760 tons, to run between Calcutta, Madras,
Ceylon, Aden, and Suez, in those months of the year
when the Oriental Company's steamers do not, until that
company get a third large steamer to complete the arrange-
ment. He states—" The Hindostan, up to the present
time, has made very rapid passages both ways between
Suez and Calcutta, touching at Ceylon, Madras, and Aden,
and has given every satisfaction to the public." With re-
gard to the Bombay line, he suggests that the E. I. Com-
pany's steamers should leave Bombay every fortnight for
Aden, their other steamers being divided between Bom-
bay and Aden. He would send the mails (through
Egypt) in:the quickest way to Alexandria, without reference
to passengers ; H.M. steamers at Alexandria to start at
once with them for Marseilles, on their way to London :
the letters and passengers vid Southampton to come and
go as they now do, by the Oriental Steam Company's
steamers. The mails to and from India on the Suez side
should, he contends, always remain in the hands of the
E. I. Company, as " no private company can with cer-
tainty be contracted with, to fill up the breaks down
which any unforeseen accident may occasion, for any
private company on the Indian side must have recourse
to the go vernment of India only to do the needful in such
cases."

On this point our author is certainly under a mistake.
If a break down of the Peninsular Company's vessels
occurs, it must be borne in mind that they would bind
themselves under heavy penalties to do the work without
any interruption, and this would oblige them (as we learn
it is their intention) to have a spare vessel in India always
ready when required. Mr. Waghorn supposes that no
company but the East India Company could convey the
mails with uninterrupted regularity. In this he is in error.
If the Peninsular Company are bound under penalties
equal to those imposed on the City of Dublin Company if
they fail—namely, one hundred pounds for every hour
they have no boat to start with the bags after the time of
departure named in the contract, it is not likely they
would be unprepared with a spare vessel in India.
It is, moreover, the intention of the Peninsular Company
to have a vessel at Aden, to go up and down the Red Sea
exclusively with the passengers and mails; and the latter
will be transhipped at Aden into steamers ready coaled—
thus avoiding the delay and nuisance of coal dust at Aden.
It is not improbable, we may add, but a year or two
will see large steamers running, in conjunction with the
Peninsular Company's vessels, from Ceylon to Australia,
Van Dieman's Land, and on to our settlement of New
Zealand. From Ceylon to Swan River is but a moderate
stage for a steamer ; and from that settlement to Port
Jackson only a few days' voyage ;—as also is the voyage
to New Zealand. By this route the passage from South-
ampton to Port Jackson can be readily performed in
sixty-three days.

Our author' details his views as to the acceleratton of
the outward mails to India. He also suggests, in a letter
to the Earl of Aberdeen (our foreign minister), the com-
pletion of a steam line of communication to China, by
establishing vessels to run between that country and Cey-
lon, to which the present line already extends. But we
must refer our readers to the pamphlet itself, which is
well worthy of consideration by all interested in acceler-
ating our communication with the East.

The supplies of flour from Canada during the past week
are to the amount of 13,750 barrels.
VICTORIA THEATRE, (LATE QUEEN'S.)—This thea-
tre which has been entirely refitted and decorated in a
most tasteful manner, was opened yesterday evening un-
der very favourable auspices. The company are talented,
and the pieces produced are new and attractive.—See
advt.
THE FIRE AT ROBY.—A man of the name of Richard
Barker was brought up at the County Police-office, on
Saturday, in the custody of Inspector Fowler, of the
Prescot division, charged with having set fire to the stack
of corn belonging to Mr. Gore, of Roby, the particulars
of which are mentioned in another paragraph. The pri-
soner was only brought up to be remanded, when further
evidence will be adduced.

THE OUT-PENSIONERS.—LOCAL COMPANIES.—We
have seen the uniform to be worn by the local companies;
it is well calculated for their comfort as well as their mili-
tary appearance, consisting of a blue frock coat with scar-
let cuff and collar, dark grey trowsers with the broad red
stripe, and a smart forage cap. All pensioners who are
in permanent situations, or likely to suffer in employment
by being occasionally called out, will be exempt, except
in cases of emergency, and in this liberal minded town few
employers•would be found who would object to their men
being so employed, for so short a time, on a public duty
of service to the community, and, what is of more conse-
quence, may be of use to themselves. The force in Liver-
pool will be a very effective one, as there is a great anxiety
in the men to be selected for these companies, and officers
from the half pay list, resident in Liverpool, will isrovi-
sionally attached to each company, to be ready i_ r ,crvice
whenever required. They will be drilled a certain number
of days in each year, and well paid for all that is required
of them.

LAUNCH OF AN IRON SCHOONER FOR THE BAPTIST
MISSIONARIES TO AFRICA.—On Saturday last a beauti-
ful iron schooner was launched from the yard of Mr.
John Laird, North Birkenhead, built for the use of the
missionaries employed by the Baptist Society, with the
benevolent view of spreading Christianity and civilization
amongst the benighted tribes on the coast of Africa.
Shortly before the hour of launching a number of ladies
and gentlemen reached the yard, and an inspection of
the vessel, by those who were at all versed in nautical
matters, led to the conviction that she was peculiarly cal-
ellated, in every point, for the service for which she is
intended. We do not remember to have seen a vessel
of more beautiful model, or one more likely to be found a
good sea-boat in a gale, and a swift sailer under ordinary
circumstances. She has a hollow, or circumflex bottom,
and is very sharp at both extremities,with a fine rotundity
of side for bearings. One peculiarity is, that she is cal-
culated both for sailing and steaming, though without
paddle-boxes, the admirable principle of the Archimedean
screw propeller, perfected by Mr. F. P. Smith, the pa-
tentee, being adopted in the "dead iron" abaft. Her
length is 75 feet, beam 15 feet, and burthen about 75
tons. She will be rigged as a Ballahoo schooner, with
taunt inclining masts, ample spread of canvas; and is
altogether one of the most rakish looking craft we have
seen. When her steam is not employed, she will, doubt-
less, be fast under sail alone, as the " screw" can be
thrown out of gear, and will scarcely, if at all, retard her
speed. She went off, and plunged into her destined ele-
ment in fine style, amidst the shouts of the numerous
spectators, and looked beautiful when afloat. The Rev.
Mr. Birrell, of Liverpool, and a large party of friends were
present, and the vessel received her name, " The Dove,"
in the usual form, from the lady of Mr. Birrell. She will
draw, when completed, about six feet of water. Her en-
gines (of 20 horse power) are by Messrs. Geo. Forrester
and Co., on the oscillating principle, with tubular boilers,
brine pumps, and every improvement which the experi-
ence and skill of these gentlemen can supply. The ob-
ject for which she is sent out is to carry the missionaries
from one part of Africa to another, and to ascend the
rivers when requisite. The Baptists are the first who
have commenced this (it is to be hoped effectual) plan of
operations; and they have already an extensive establish-
ment of missionaries at the head quarters, in the Island
of Fernando Po. The cabins will be neatly fitted, and
with every regard to health and ventilation. The name
of the vessel is exceedingly appropriate, and on her flag
is represented " The dove, with the branch of olive."

BANKRUPTCY COURT.—At the opening of the court,
yesterday, Mr. Commissioner Skirrow addressed the so-
licitors and others present on some irregularities that had
taken place during his temporary absence from his judi-
cial duties ; and, in order that our readers may be en-
abled to comprehend the subject matter of his observa-
tions, it is requisite to furnish a brief prefaratory explana-
tion. It appears that the two commissioners, Messrs.
Skirrow and Phillips, had agreed to take a two months'
" holyday" in the year, to visit their friends ; that Mr.
Skirrow had beeen absent for that period, his duties de-
volving on Mr. Phillips in the interim ; and that in the
interim the latter gentleman had occasion to complain of
the conduct towards himself of some of the officers of the
court; and it further appeared that some irregularity had
taken place in obtaining a certificate from one of the offi-
cers of the court relative to the practice pursued there
which was not usual or legitimate. The latter case al-
luded to was one in which Mr. Green had complained
that the estate of a merchant, for whom he was concern-
ed, had been wasted in expenses in that court ; Mr.
Turner, a merely ministerial officer of the court, had also
been called upon to make an affidavit of the practice of
the court in such cases, which he had no right to do, and
this affidavit had not at first been filed, but was afterwards
filed, having (as we understood) been suffered to be re-
ceived by the court. The learned Commissioner (Skir-
row) addressed the court at considerable length, and ap-
parently labouring under painful feelings, on these topics.
He said that he had to express his deep regret and his
surprise at the occurrences that had transpired in his
absence. The learned Commissioner bad complained,
in no very measured language, of the conduct towards him
of Mr. Owen, messengers' clerk, and also of the official
assignees, of the conduct of all of whom to himself he spoke
in terms of the highest praise. He was the more sur-
prised that such a complaint should have arisen. He had
ever found Mr. Owen and the other gentlemen most at-
tentive and polite, and they had all been highly recom-
mended on obtaining their present situations. If Mr.
Owen had insulted the learned commissioner, it was open
a
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He would advance no opinion on the merit of these cases;
o
s
but there was one case on which he could not but remark
who been called upon to give an opinion, by affidavit,
permitted in any court, from the Court of Queen's Bench
The affidavit had not then been filed, and the 42nd order
of the Court required that all certificates should be filed.
He utterly disclaimed, on his own part, giving sanction
to such a system. After some remarks on the newspapers,
to which he inferred some erroneous reports bad been
carried, and declaring his total independence of such ve-
hicles of information, he concluded by passing a warm
panygeric on the attention he had received from all the
officers of the Court.—and the usual business (of an un-
interesting nature) was allowed to proceed,