The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-25 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

It will doubtless' be urged that we are as yet
only in a state of transition. We may be told that
our present sufferings are only the result of the re-
coil of past indiscretions ; that we have over-
traded; that our commercial system has been rot-
ten, and must be rebuilt upon a sounder basis, and
with more solid materials; that our commercial
men have been practising on the credulity of the
world, and exhibiting as real wealth what was only
valueless paper. But what of all this ? The plain
' and undeniable fact is before us that not one of our
foreign markets is at this moment glutted with our
products, and yet not one is showing any anxiety
to be supplied. We may be in bad credit ' • but it
is not of want of credit that we complain. We want
creditors, not credit. We want to sell our goods—
not to buy. We want to set our mills in motion
and to employ our artizans ; and free trade is not
exhibiting its promised capacity to do so for us.
We are willing to take anything in exchange which
foreign nations have to offer us. We take either
" rags or bones, or old metal spoons"; but we hawk
our wares in vain. The world will have nothing
from us but our gold or our silver, our securities
or our railways. We have been for years erecting
a showy fabric of prosperity, and we are now
selling the bricks to enable us to live.
The question which presents itself, in the endea-
vour to arrive at a solution of our difficulty, is a
sufficiently startling one. Can it be, whilst de-
luding the world by the show of our manufacturing
power, that we have been deluding ourselves ? Are
we, as a people, so essential to the existence of the
whole human race as we have led ourselves to be-
lieve ? Present circumstances, it must he con-
fessed, do not furnish a very flattering reply. The
world abroad seems to go on very comfortably
without coming near to our shop. We do not
hear of people going naked, although we have
ceased to weave and spin. The Saxon peasant and
the Russian boor, the Dane and the Swede, the
Prussian and the Pole, are duly protected from the
elements, although the factories of Manchester and
Leeds are only half worked. How is this ? Can
we have been for years past creating a fictitious
trade ? The supposition is not very impossible.
We may have been bolstering up a system of credit
throughout the world, which has made for us cus-
tomers, who will no longer remain so when we call
upon them, as at present we must do, for real value
as the return for our wares.

We fear very greatly that the dream of our inor-
dinate commercial power is in course of being dis-
pelled ; and that we must apply to ourselves the
common-sense principles and truths which apply to
the rest of the world, and remodel our policy ac-
cordingly. We can consume only a certain portion
of the surplus produce of foreign countries; and
when we import more than we can consume, we
must expect to be visited with the penalties which
attend improvident trading. The world- will not be
driven to square its transactions with ours. We
cannot compel-the exchange of coffee for calico, or
corn for woollens. The foreign producer takes,
in the long run, only what he requires, however
much we may send him, and the excess will remain
a drug upon the shelves of the dealers. Wise
nations, not already indoctrinated with the de-
structive principles which sacrifice native industry
to encourage that of competing foreigners, are not
likely to be lured into following the example which
we have set them, and which has thus far been
pregnant only with disaster and suffering.
We should imagine that experience has already
shown how delusive is any dependence upon an•
increase of exports to remunerate us for the loss of
our home demand ; and how still more delusive is
the hope of a general adoption of our suicidal
policy. What can be better evidence on this point
than the following advertisement, which we find in
the Manchester Guardian of Saturday last :

" Wanted, a partner, with £4,000, in a flourishing
woollen manufactory in Belgium. As this is a most eli-
gible opportunity for the investment of the above capital,
the trade being protected against foreign competition by
heavy import duties, none but principals need apply."
What a mockery is here of the " dreams" of our
own free-trade philosophers ! We can boast of no
" flourishing woollen manufactories." We have no
branch of our industry flourishing. And why ?-
The advertiser suggests to the readers of our free-
trade contemporary the reason. We have no trades
" protected against foreign competition by heavy
import duties." We have senselessly thrown open
our own markets to the industry of the world, and
receive no concession in return. We may buy
Belgian and other products in as great quantity as
we wish ; hut the payment must be in sovereigns
or shillings, not in calicoes or woollens, unless we
can first pay the duty imposed upon them by the
foreigner, and afterwards undersell the native
producer.

A special meeting of the Council, to consider the Dock
Bill will be held this morning. We shall give the parti-
culars of the meeting in a second edition.
His Excellency General Edhem Bey, Minister of Public
Works in Egypt, and suite, are, staying at the Angel
Hotel. They have expressed themselves much pleased
with the public buildings, &c. of Liverpool.
EXAMINATION OF MASTERS AND MATES.—At a meet-
ing of a board of examiners, held on the 4tkinstant,
Captain• J. Sedgwick Savery, master of the Iron. Barque,
Calypso, of Cork ; on the 18th Captain James Tweedie,
late master of the Bangalore, of London, and Mr. James
M'Pherson, second master- of the British and North
American royal mail steamship, Caledonia, and on the
21st instant Captain Warre Bradley Wells, late master of
the Belle, of Liverpool, were respectively examined, and
each found duly qualified for a first class master's certifi-
cate, for which they had applied.

The miners and iron-workers in the employment of
Lord Ward were to receive notice on Saturday of a reduc-
tion in their wages, similar to that agreed to by the other
masters, who' seem resolved not to give way, whilst the
men 'appear equally determined to stand out until their
demands are conceded. It is confidently stated that within
a very short time there will not be a single furnace or pit
at work in the whole of the South Staffordshire district.
A fearful prospect. .

- -
THE IRISH SOCIETY OF LONDON.—We have received
the second number of the " Irish Intelligence," pub-
lished by Messrs. Seeley, Burnside, and Seeley, of
London, giving most encouraging accounts of the pro-
gress of the above interesting society, by whose efforts
the Gospel is being circulated amongst the benighted
population of the sister island in their native tongue.
We do not know any mode in which Protestants can
better display their sincerity towards Ireland, than by
giving their support to the Irish Society. We ob-
serve that its organ, the " Intelligence, is in future
to be published monthly, and a very valuable little
publication it is. The wood-cut in the present
number of Brosna Parsonage and School-house looks
almost like a picture of some missionary station in a ne-
glected heathen country.
IRISH BEGGARS.—Yesterday, at the police-court, no
fewer than twenty-two natives of Ireland, male and
female, were brought up charged by police-officers with
begging in the streets. Mr. Rushton, in each case, said
there was a provision for them in their own country;
under the existing poor-law, and put to each of them the
question,—" Will you go home ? ' and stated that if so,
he would pass them. The general replies were,—" I will
not ;" " I have no business at home ;" " I have no home
to go to ;" and the like. Mr. Rushton said he should, in
all cases of refusal, carry out the law, and send the parties
to gaol for a month. Very few of the number stated
agreed to be passed to their respective parishes. In
several instances money was found in the pockets of the
parties, and he ordered that the same should be appro.
priated towards their maintenance while they were in

prison.
Police-
court, rTtE, A
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sNt
eGr
dLaEy. Dt t) 0
men,Nl BlviaiLliDialraNGTh.-oAnnt
ptshoen
snd
Williams, were charged with having, on Saturday night,
stolen a quantity of lead, weighing about 801bs., from the
roof of a cow-house, the property of Mr. Peter Jones, in
Derby-street Edge-hill. One of the prisoners, Thompson,
was seen on the roof of the building, and a police-officer
swore that he saw Williams at the foot of the ladder, by
which the other had ascended. Williams was not appre-
hended until he was seen in the court just before the ex-
amination. He strongly protested his innocence, saying
that he must have been taken for another person in a
similar dress, as he could prove that he was at his own
house at the time, if he were allowed to bring up hi, wit_
nesses. Mr. Rushton had the depositions taken down in
writing, committed Thompson for trial, and remanded
Williams for a day to enable him to produce the witnesses
to whom he had alluded.
MEETING OF THE LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL
SOCIETY.—Last night the usual meeting of this society
took place at the Royal Institution. The chair was oc-
cupied by the Rev. Dr. Booth, and the attendance was
pretty numerous. Mr. lligginson exhibited, and made
interesting remarks upon some specimens of rude pottery,
from an island, now uninhabited, in the Bay of Honduras,
—The main subject of the evening was an essay read by
Mi. Alfred Rimmer (a youth 18 years of age, and, we
learn, a pupil of our townsman, Mr. J. Cunningham), on
Gothic achiteeture, its history, and its peculiar adaptation
to ecclesiastical structures. The lecture was of consider-
able length, hut written in a manner that shelled
such research, good taste, and perception of the
beautiful in that style that it challenged not the criticism,
but the admiration of the hearers. Mr. Rimmer illus-
trated his subject by well-executed diagrams, and re-
ferred (amongst other instances) to several of the Gothic
edifices in this town and neighbourhood. An interesting
evening.
Mrs. discussion followed, in which Dr. Hume, Mr. WaldY,
Mr. Pidgeon, and others took part, and a vote of thanks
was passed to the young gentleman who
Mrs. Ellen Silverwood, so long known in
contributed to the intellectual treat oifiltuhbeialeidovues°l:Biti
has opened an excellent chop-house Elbow -lane,
See ado,

INCREASE OF POOR-LAW EXPENDITURE IN

LIVERPOOL FOR 1847

We gave, a fortnight ago, a summary of the expenditure
in the relief of the poor in Manchester in the year ended
31st December, 1847, as compared with that of 1846,
shewing a large increase We have it this week in our
power to give a similar statement as to the expenditure in
Liverpool, which, however, only embraces the accounts
made up to the 25th of September in each year. We
give the amounts for the two years in juxta-position :
Year ended 25th September, 1846. 1847.
Out-door relief
In-door relief 12,647 22,673
Registration.... 1,053 1,422
Vaccination 417 459
Interest. 1,096 1,115
Medicine..
_

We have thus had, under the head of out-door relief, an
increase of nearly £26,000 in a total sum of .f..a2,296 for
the year ; whilst in Manchester the increase was £33,000
out of a total for the year of £48,321 ; and this notwith-
standing the fact of Liverpool being the gate, as it were,
of pauper immigration from Ireland. The in-door relief
is increased above £lO,OOO over the amount paid in 184&;
and this includes the lazarettoes and fever sheds. The
former of these—the lazarettoes—cost £4228, and the
sheds £2962, together £7190, exclusive of salaries. The
cost of medicine, which has been doubled, shews the sad
increase of disease which has prevailed amongst our poor.

With respect to the rates which will have to be called
for to meet the expenditure of the ensuing year, we are
not in a position to speak. The rateable value of the
property of the parish is, however, £1,068,000, a shilling
rate upon which will produce, if fully paid up, about
£53.000 per annum. It is, however, never fully collected.
We had last year a three shilling rate ; and we have had
fears entertained of a supplementary rate. We believe,
however, that these fears are groundless. The practice
has been in Liverpool, of late, to lay a rate in November.
It was subsequently brought down to September ; and
last year it was laid in May. This year, we understand,
it will be laid early in April, so as to be collected with the
Government and other taxes. We shall, therefore, have
no supplementary rate ; but we shall be called upon to
pay a little earlier. In fact, we may consider that in the
course of the last two or three years, the clock has been
put forward ; and six months' extra rates will virtually be
made " due on demand."

THE
MASTER COOPERS AND DOCK WAREHOUSES,

A Meeting of the Master Coopers was held yesterday,
at the Clarendon Rooms, for the purpose of taking. into
consideration the best means of opposing the present
system of working Dock Warehouses, and to prevent its
further extension.

Mr. T. Wignall took the. Chair; and the following
Memorial, which will be presented to the Council to-day,
was unanimously agreed to :

" TO THE MAYOR. AND TOWN COUNCIL OF LIVERPOOL.
" The Memorial of the Master Coopers of Liverpool,
" HUMBLY MIEWETH, _ _

" That your Petitioners are alarmed to observe that ib
is again proposed to bring before you the Dock Extension
Bill, against which they have already Memorialised your
Honourable Council, and which you have twice rejected.
"That your Petitioners, who represent one of the most
important Trades of the Port, have of late been seriously
injured by a regulation of the Dock Committee, by which
they are excluded from pursuing their business, and
Coopering Casks or Cases, on board any ship discharging
or lying within the Albert Dock, or on the Quays, or in
the Warehouses surrounding them.

" That by such regulation the Dock Committee, con-
stituting a public body, exercise themselves a large busi-
ness, in which the Coopers and other Tradesmen of the
Port are not allowed to participate.
" That your Petitioners occupy large, central, and
extensive premises, for which they are heavily rated,
whilst the Dock Committee, who now claim to monopo-
lise their business, propose to pay none for the Ware-
houses applied for in their intended Act ; and that,
moreover, your Petitioners, trusting in their ability still
to carry on their business, and in the fairness of your
Honourable Council, have taken apprentices whom they
have to instruct thoroughly in the Trade, which they will
be in a great measure prevented from doing,,in one of its
most important branches-, if the exclusion referred to be
persisted in.
" That your Petitioners are ready to meet any fair com-
petition ; and to prove by their charges that the interests
of the Merchants would be promoted, and by. the conduct
of themselves and their servants, that the working of the
Dock and its Warehouses would not be hindered, by their
being permitted to compete for a fair share of the busi-
ness of the Port.

" That your Petitioners therefore pray that you will
appoint a Committee to inquire into the grievances com-
plained of, and their effect both upon the Master Coopers
and the Merchant and Shipowner, and to hear a deputa-
tions from their body upon the subject; and that, in the
mean time, you will suspend, you sanction to any further
extension of the Dock Warehouse principle, which, by
such unjust restriction, is capable of being made to damage
so seriously the Tradesmen of the Port."
We think the prayer of this respectful petition is en-
titled to great consideration.