The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-04-07 00:00:00

''THE OREGON QUESTION.-NO WAR

"We were the first to make known the fact of the
`Message of Peace' sent out to the United States on the
4th December, independently of, and indeed preceding,
any possible despatch of the Times newspaper of that day's
date. Our statement was caviled at by the uninformed,
but events proved our accuracy in every particular. Look.
tog at more recent events on both sides the Atlantic, and
availing ourselves of intelligence from the best sources,
we have now the satisfaction of intimating to merchants,
manufacturers, and all whom it may concern, that we
have now NO APPREHENSION WHATEVER Of war between
this country and the States. Persons interested may,
we implicitly believe, act as if the whole question lately
in dispute were settled, and proclaimed by the respective
Governments as being finally disposed

Although we are really unaware of the circum-
stance connected with the " Message of Peace," we
cannot doubt our contemporary's asseveration of his
priority of announcement. The public must, how-
ever, be abundantly obliged to our contemporary for
his intimation "to merchants, manufacturers, and all
to whom it may concern, that HE (the Mercury) has
now NO APPREHENSION WHATEVER of war be-
tween this country and the States." Such persons
may go on with their business, as if there had been
no " cloud rising in the far West." Mercury is sa-
tisfied : henceforth let no little dog bark

The case of Woolmer v. Toby, *tried at Exeter, in
which the defendant, who had applied for an allot-
ment of railway shares, which he subsequently re-
fused to take up, was compelled by a verdict against
him, to pay the full amount of the deposit due, has
had the effect of encouraging the provisional com-
mittees of many of the projected lines, in which a
similar default of payment has been made, to resort
to the law as the remedy. Circular letters have
been flying about in all directions; and hosts of
persons, who have previously regarded their liability
as non-existent, and consequently have paid no at-
tention to applications made to them, are just now
in a state of considerable trepidation and doubt as
to the course they should pursue.
As the .subject is, we dare say, of interest to many
of our readers, some of whom are, perhaps, relying
on the advice of very doubtful authorities urging
them to resist even contribution to the expenses in-
curred, we feel it our duty to give the following
opinion upon the question, which appeared in the
Law Times of March 28 a journal which is gene-
rally received, even by the profession, as entitled to
considerable weight in its judgement upon legal

points :
" We think, therefore, that there is little chance of an
allottee escaping from the liability he has incurred, upon
the merits; he must rest his hopes upon the technical
difficulties in the way of maintaining such an action. But
reliance on technicalities is never creditable to the party
or his legal adviser, never safe, for the courts will defeat
it if they can. The advantage of success is not to be
measured against the hazard of defeat, especially where
even success is dishonour. Far better will it be for allot-
tees to pay the trifling sum in most cases required of
them, as their contribution towards the expenses, than to
risk a law-suit, with its costs and anxieties. Distributed
among so many, these expenses will fall lightly upon each;
thrown upon a few, they are ruinous. We therefore re-
commend our readers, in all cases, to urge their clients to
pay any reasonable contribution towards fair expenses, as
being not only the most honest and honourable, but the
most prudent course they cm adopt."
Of course we have no opinion of our own to offer
upon the subject. There may, in some instances,
he special exceptions, in which companies by mal-
versation, or breach of the terms of the prospectus,
upon the faith of which the application of the allot-
tee was made, have forfeited their claim. " The
glorious uncertainty of the law" however is prover-
bial ; and people ought to pause before they tempt
its consequences.

THE QUARTERLY RECEIPTS AT THE LIVER-

POOL CUSTOM HOUSI

We have again at this port a decreasing quarterly
revenue, arising principally from the reductions in raw
materials and articles of consumption in this district.
The gross revenue of the corresponding quarter of last
year, viz., the three months ending the sth April,
1845, amounted to £928,973. To the 4th April this
year, up to which date the return is made up, the re-
ceipts are only £793,424, thus showing a deficit of
£135,549.

The Liverpool Stock Exchange will be closed from Thursday
next until the following Tuesday morning.
The Rev. Walter Fletcher, Chancellor of the diocese of Car-
lisle, died on Wednesday, at the advanced age of 79.
Yesterday, the Committee on Group 21 decided the preamble
of the London and Oxford line, promoted by the Great Wes-
tern, not proved.
THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE.—A public meeting was held
at Birmingham, on Friday, which was numerously attended.
Among other parties present, were the Revs. W. Ewbank, J.
H. Stewart, and J. Todd Brown' of this town.
The poor-law commissioners have appointed J. T. Graves,
Esq., barrister-at-law, of the Inner Temple, to be an assistant
poor-law commissioner, in the place of Mr. Tufnell, who has
resigned.
Lord and Lady Stanley were to leaVe BelvoirCastle, where
they have been visiting the Duke of Rutland, on Friday, for the
Earl of Derby's, Knowsley Hall, with the intention of passing
the holidays with the noble earl.
Potocki, one of the leaders of the late revolt in Poland, has
been condemned to death, and executed at Siedlce.
SIR HENRY HARDINGE.—It is understood that the title of
Sir Henry Hardinge will be Baron Penshurst, of Penshurst, in
the county of Kent.
OUR INDIAN VICTORIES.—A correspondent in yesterday's
Times asks with brevity, but very pertinently, " May I inquire
what amount of victory