The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-06-11 00:00:00

SELEG LIONS.

IRISH MODE OF EARNING THE RENT.—There is a
story told of the late Dick Martin, which occurred forcibly
to my mind when I paid my first visit to the Ojibbeways.
Dick, being at Greenwich fair, was led by a very super-
fluous curiosity upon the part of the king in Connemara,
to enter a booth, whose proprietor professed to exhibit
"a wild man !" There, assuredly, he saw a very wild-
looking individual, with his head and face covered with a
profusion of red, shaggy hair, a regular glib, nearly naked,
and with a chain about his waist. But Mr. Martin, upon
observing that the savage seemed to display towards him
some uncouth and uneasy signs of recognition, was in-
duced to examine him more closely, and the result was
that he recognised in the " wild man" one of lt!s own
tenants, and shouted out, with all the indignation be-
coming a legislator in favour of animals, " Why, then,
Flaherty, you blackguard of the world, what is it you're
about there, at all—at all; making a beast of yourself en-
tirely—entirely ?" " Earning the rent for your honour !"
—Fraser.
HAUNTED-HOUSES.—We have heard of a family, who
lived in a solitary suburban house, approachable only by a
by-road close to a churchyard, being roused by an unac-
countable noise from midnight sleep, leaving their beds,
and huddling together in one room, while the master of
the house, pistol in hand, searched the premises. Though
nothing suspicious was detected, the female servants could
not be persuaded to return to their chambers, because, as
no thief was found lurking about, it was clear " the house
was haunted." And to this day such a belief would have
been cherished, had not the master been a man in whose
mind no prejudice or absurd fear could for an instant
exist—one whose clear and sagacious faculties are compe-
tent to the exposure of any fallacy, however plausible.
The sound was heard on a subsequent night; and being
resolved to detect its cause, which this gentleman sus-
pected beforehand would turn nut to be something very
trivial, he ascertained at last that it proceeded from the
rattling, in a sudden wind, of a Venetian blind, hanging
outside the window of an unoccupied room, and which
the servants had neglected, week after week, to draw up
and secure.—Ainsworth's .211agazine.

OPINIONS OF TUE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.—Napo•
Icon was as fairly beaten at Waterloo as Hannibal was at
Zama. When Sir Walter Scott was at Paris (1815), he
was permitted to ask, and be did ask, the following ques-
tions, at his Grace's table, relating to Waterloo; and I
repeat them as Sir Walter detailed them to me at my
own :—" Suppose, your Grace, Blucher had not come
rrp ?" The Duke replied, " I could have kept my ground
till next morning." " Suppose Grouchy had Tome
first ?" " Blucher would have been close behind him."
" But let us suppose your Grace had been compelled to
retreat ?" " I could have taken position in the forest
of Soignies, and defied all till the allies joined." " Was
there any part of the day your Grace despaired ?" " Ne-
ver !" was the reply. This is the reply of the first in
command. In 1833 the writer of this letter dined at
Lord Palmerston's ; on his right sat Lord Hill. As his
Lordship lived near the author, he offered to set him
down. When alone in the carriage with Lord Hill. re-
membering what Sir Walter had affirmed of the Ditke's
confidence, he said, "Was there any part of the day at
Waterloo, my Lord, you ever desponded as to the re-
sult?" " Desponded!" replied Lord Hill, " Never!
There never was the least panic ; we had gained rather
than lost ground by the evening. No, there was not a
moment I had the least doubt of the result." Thus,
here are given, from authentic sources, the opinions of
the first and second in command ; and even in the French
army this ought to be something."—United Service Mag.

TEE SHIPPING INTEREST V. FREE TRADE.—To the
monopoly which this country so long enjoyed in its ship-
ping interest, bv its navigation laws, says the American
statesman, Mr. Webster, may be traced Great Britain's
empire of the sea. Of this law, although not favourable
to restrictions in theory, yet never for a moment through-
out his great work, contemplating the displacement of
tabour engaged in the agriculture of this country, Dr.
Adam Smith says " As defence is of much more impor-
tance than opulence, the Act of Navigation is perhaps the
wisest of all the commercial regulations of England."
Yet, notwithstanding the natural interest every country
has in its security against the attacks of foreign enemies ;
notwithstanding the high authorities stated in favour of
the Navigation Law, it was one of the first to be partially
repealed, in the chimerical expectation that foreign powers
would give us some advantage if we gave up the employ-
ment of part of our shipping to them. 'What has been
the consequence? Distress in our mercantile shipping,
and amongst our mercantile seamen (the nursery of our
navy) almost ever since, without any compensation of
advantage, although this was promised to our manufac-
turers. At a general meeting of the shipowners of the
Ports of Newcastle, Sunderland, Stockton, and their de-
pendencies, held at Newcastle, on the 13th of January,
1842, the first resolution was, " That the shipping interest
has been reduced to unprecedented distress." The se-
cond resolution, " That this meeting is convinced, after
sixteen years experience, that the continued and increased
distress to which the shipping interest is reduced, is
mainly to be attributed to the encouragement given to
the foreign shipping and seamen of the north of Europe
by the alteration of the Navigation Law s " No wonder
that this complaint should be made when' the foreign
Shipping entering our ports has been rapidly progressive,
ever since the partial repeal of the Navigation Laws ;
whilst the English shipping so employed, notwithstanding
the great increase in our exports, has been almost station-
-317, and
in some instances has rotrograded. Doubtless
the competition between foreign English
. and shipping has'
produced a zreater cheapness in freight. But are the peo_
ple happier ? Is the nation safer
2. Cayley's (M.P.) " Reasons for the formation of the
Agricultural Protection Society.

RESOURCES OF GREAT BRITAIN.—We have, in these
islands, at this moment, more than forty-six millions
of acres in cultivation ; besides fifteen millions more, ca-
pable of yielding food, but not yet subjected to the
plough. Now even as ploughed land merely, every acre
will yield more than sufficient food for two persons,—so
that here ought to be sustenance for ninety millions of
people ;—but on taking a closer view, we find that, by
the use of the spade, and allowing for the growth of luxu-
ries, " on the most moderate calculation, Great Britain
and Ireland are capable of maintaining, in ease and afflu-
ence, 120,000,000 of inhabitants." Said we not truly,
then, that the land which God has given us, is " a good
land and a large," and may we not be thankful, (rather
than alarmed) that since 1801 our population has advanced
from seventeen millions to more than twenty-six mil-
lions ?—While, that the growth of food has advanced even
still more rapidly, is made clear by the fact, that less and
less of foreign corn is able to find a market in our ports :
for it appears, that in the five years from 1801 to 1805
there passed our custom-house 3,432,809 quarters of
wheat, or nearly 700,000 quarters per annum ; while in
the five years from 1831 to 1835, the duty was paid on no
more than 1,992,548, or not quite 400,000 quarters per
annum. In manufactures our progress has been still
more rapid. It is estimated that the wool manufactured
in these islands in 1800, was 102,986,008 lb.—in 1835
179,291,7761 b. The cotton wool taken into consumption
in 1801 was 54,203,433 lb.—in 1835 it was 333,043,464 lb.
The iron exported in 1801 was 4,584 tons,—in 1835, it
had increased to 106,467 tons.—Remedies for the Perils
of the Nation.
A WEST-END GAMING-HOUSE.—It was a large room,
richly carpetted. Two rich and massive chandeliers, sus-
pended from the ceiling, showed the dazzling gilt and
colour of the empanelled walls, from which, at alternate
distances, extended elegant mirror branches with lights.
The chimney-piece was furnished with a plate of glass
which reached the ceiling; the sides were concealed by
falling drapery of crimson and gold, and supported by two
gilt full-length figures, bearing lights. At the opposite
end were placed two beaufets, furnished with costly plate-
glass, &c. In the middle was fixed the hazard-table, of a
long oval form, having an adumbrated lamp hanging over
the centre. To the right stood the rouae et noir and
roulette tables, idly placed "to make up a show." Not
so that to the left, for there stood the supper-table. This
was laid out with viands worthy the contemplation of an
epicure, on whitest-damask, in costly china, and in forms
delicate and recherche. Everything which might court
the most fastidious taste were there placed in luxuriant
profusion; game, poultry, ham, tongue, not forgetting the
substantial sirloin, lobster salads, oysters en outre les
petites miseres ; confectionary and preserves, creams,
jellies, and pine-apples. Silver candelabra lighted each
end of this long and well-supplied table, while the middle
was reserved for the display of one of still greater magni-
ficence, said to have been designed and executed for his
Royal Highness the late Duke of —. It was composed
of a large figure of Hercules contending with the hydra
with seven heads. This gargeous piece of plate sup-
ported seven wax lights.. Tolaus (who assisted Hercules)
was also represented bearing the lighted brand wherewith to staunch the blood, lest another head should spring I
from the wound.—Bentley's Miscellany.
CHURCH AND STATE.—The historical blunder made by
dissenters in asserting the State to have given our Church
all her endowments, reminds us of another blur der per-
petually repeated in the House of Commons, by Members
who ought to have known better, during the debate on
Irish affairs. We allude to the statement that the Church
of Rome was the ." ANCIENT" Church of Ireland ;
whereas the PRECISE CONTRARY IS THE TRUTH. The
principles now held by the Protestant Church in Ireland
were maintained by the ancient Church in Ireland till that
country was invaded and conquered by Henry the Second
in 1172 : and even after that, it required a long period
before the Pope could fasten his iron collar of superstition
around the neck of the once free Church of Ireland. On
this subject the following extract from Archbishop Usher
is, for more than one reason, peculiarly valuable just now :
—" Thus did Sedulius and Claudius, two of our most
famous divines, deliver the doctrine of FREE WILL, and
the GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION and ADOPTION ; no less
agreeably to the FAITH WHICH IS AT THIS DAY PRO-
FESSED IN THE REFORMED CHURCHES, than to that
which they themselves received from the more ancient
doctors whom they did follow therein. Neither do we,
in our judgment, rr.e whit differ from them when they
teach that `faith' a 1):... is not sufficient to life. * * *
For as it is a certain truth, that among all the members
of the body, the eye is the only instrument whereby we
see; and yet it as true also, that the eye being alone, and
separated from the rest of the members, is dead, and for
that cause cloth neither see only, nor see at all. So these
two sayings may stand likewise together, that among all
the virtuesin the soul faith is the only instrument where-
by we lag hold upon Christ for our justification ; and vet
that faith being alone, and disjoined from the society
of
other graces, is dead in itself,' as St. James speaketh ;
and in that respect can neither only justify, nor justify at
all."—Usher's " Discourse of the Religion anciently pro-
fessed by the Irish and British.

DUELLING AT HEIDEII3URG.—Nothing can be more
puerile and absurd, and in many instances disgusting,
than the habitual pastimes and amusements of the stu.
dents ; or at least of the large majority of them who at-
tend no lectures and study, nothing that they can po-sibly
avoid, but look upon their residence at the university as
three or four years to be devoted to smoking, beer-drink-
ing, and scratching one another's faces in duels. These
duels, by the bye, are pieces of the most intense humbug
that can be imagined. They take place now in the large
room of the inn at Ziegelhausen, a village on the banks of
the Neckar, about two miles from Heidelberg, and are
fought with straight swords, square but sharp at the ex-
tremity, and having guards as big as a soup-plate. Before
the fight begins, the combatants don their defensive arms,
consisting of a strong and broad-brimmed hat protecting
the head and eyes, an immense leathern breastplate de-
fending the chest and stomach, a padded case, also of lea-
ther, which shields the arm from wrist to shoulder, and
an impenetrable cravat which protects the neck up to the
ears. The nose, and a bit of each cheek, is all that can
be possibly wounded. Thus equipped the heroes set to
work, slashing away at each other (it is forbidden to
thrust.) shaving off pieces of their padded armour, and
looking exceeding fierce and valiant the while : until, after
a greater or less time, according as the combatants are
equal in skill or not, one of them gets a scratch across the
nose, or a small eyelet hole in the cheek, which terminates
this caricature of a duel. Since " young Germany" finds
amusement in so harmless a practice, it might very well
be allowed them ; provided they afterwards, like good
boys, took their books and learned their lessons. But
such a proceeding would be by no means consistent with
the Burschen-Freiheit—the academic freedom of which
these hopeful youths make their boast. To celebrate the
valour of the victor, and show sympathy with the suffer-
ings of the vanguished—whose wound is by this time
dressed with an inch of sticking plaster—the party repairs
to a tavern to breakfast; and there the morning is killed
over beer and Rhine wine.—Rhine and .Rhinelanders, in
Blacletvood's Magazine. _

TREATMENT OF THE POOR.—There is now generally
prevalent, a wish to force the poor back upon their own
resources,—to make them independent,—to raise them
above pauperism, &c., all which may be very desirable
and necessary,—but the obvious motive for which is, in
general, in order thereby to escape their importunities.
Such is the general tenor of Miss Martineau's and Mrs.
Marcet's writings; in which those writers, evidently put-
ting a force upon their own natural feelings, even go the
length of denouncing dispensaries, lying-in hospitals,
almshouses for the aged, and the distribution of coals and
blankets in winter. And the former puts into the mouth
of a benevolent manufacturer, the sentiment, that all that
the higher classes can do for the lower, is, to increase the
capital on which they, the lower, are to subsist e., to
increase their own wealth, in the belief that in so doing,
they are doing " all they can do," effectually, for the
poor I But how different is the tone and general tenor of
the wisest national code ever propounded? Never was
there a system so effective, in the outset, for the exclusion
of pauperism, as that prescribed by God himself by the
mouth of Moses. The whole land shared among the
people ;—a provision made for the return of each family
to their own original allotment each fiftieth year ;—a pro-
hibition of taking interest for loans made in the mean-
time ; all was contrived to keep, as much as might be,
everything like pauperism at the greatest possible distance.
But, after all this had been done, what is the temper of
mind with which poverty is viewed ? Is it that of impa-
tience, and discontent? Nay, but as far as possible from
any such feeling " The poor," the Israelites are told,
" shall never cease out of the land,"—and the duty
grounded on this assurance is, " Therefore, I command
thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy
brother, to thy poor and thy needy in thy land." " Thou
shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved
when thou givest him ; because that for this thing the
Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all
that thou puttest thine hand unto."—Remedies for the
Perils of the Nation.
THE SENSATIONS THAT ATTEND STARVING.—I have
never yet seen a treatise or dissertation upon starving to
death—l can speak feelingly of every stage except the last.
For the last two days through which the strong and healthy
man is doomed to exist upon nothing, his sufferings are
perhaps more acute than in the remaining stages—he feels
an inordinate, unappeasable craving at the stomach
day and night. The mind runs upon beef, bread,
and other substantials ; but still in a great measure the
body retains its strength. On the third and fourth days,
but especially on the fourth, this incessant craving gives
place to a sinking and weakness of the stomach, accompa-
nied by a nausea. The unfortunate sufferer still desires
food ; but with loss of strength he looses that eager crav-
ing which is felt in the earlier stages. Should he chance
to obtain a morsel or two of food, as was occasionally the
case with us, he swallows it with a wolfish avidity. But
five minutes afterwards his sufferings are more intense
than ever. He feels as if be had swallowed a living lobster,
which is crawling and feeding upon the very foundation of
his existence. On the fifth day, his cheeks suddenly ap.
pear:hollow and sunken, his body attenuated, his colour
an ashy pale, and his eye wild, glassy, cannibalish. The
different parts of the system now war with each other.
The stomach calls upon the legs to go with it in
.quest of
food ; the legs from very weakness refuse. The sixth day
brings on increasing suffering, although the pangs of
hunger are lost in an overpowering
langour and sickness.
The head becomes giddy—the ghosts of well remembered
dinners pass in hideous procession through the mind.
The seventh day comes, bringing increased lassitude and
farther prostration of strength. The arms bang listlessly
the legs drag heavily. The desire for food is still left, to
a degree ; but it must be brought, not sought. The mi-
serable remnant of life which still hangs to the sufferer is
a burden almost too grevious to be borne ; yet his inher-
ent love for existence induces a desire to preserve it, if it
can be saved without a tax upon bodily exertion. The
mind wanders. At one moment, he thinks his weary
limbs cannot sustain him a mile—the next he is endowed
with unnatural strength, and, if their be a certainty of re-
lief before
en
whence proceeds
bravely and strongly onward,
wondering
proceeds this new and sudden impulse.
—Kendal's Narrative of the Texan Santa Fe Expedition.