The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-10-15 00:00:00


THE PLAN OF BIRKENHEAD.—The Liverpool Stan-
dard of Tuesday gives, in a supplement, a typographical
sketch of the extensive improvements at Birkenhead. This
specimen of workmanship is certainly a curiosity, and is
as creditable to the skill of the manipulator as it is to the
advancement of the arts in the noble town of Liverpool.—
Worcvter Journal.--[We are sorry we cannot find room
for the many notices from our other provincial con-
temporaries of our novel production. They are as grati-
fying as they are numerous.]
OPENING OF TIIE INIANCHrSTER CUSTOM-HOUSE.—
This establishment was opened for business on Friday.
The establishment consists of a solicitor, comptroller, six
clerks, a landing surveyor, two landing-waiters, lockers,
&c. Mr. Powell, late comptroller of the customs at New-
castle, has been selected as collector; and Mr. Shellv, late
warehouse-keeper at Liverpool, has received the appoint-
ment of comptroller. The majority of tho officars have
been selected by the commissioners of customs, from the
Liverpool officers. We understand that a considerable
business was transacted.—Manchester Courier.

FIRES.—On Thursday morning about half past ten, a
fire broke out on the premises of Mr. W. Alletson, tallow
chandler, Bevington Hill. The damagearnounted to about
&10. On Friday night a fire broke out in the stable of
Mr. Lathom, Vauxhall road, but the police being promptly
on the spot, the flames were soon subdued. On Sunday
morning a fire broke out in the shop of Mr. John Simpson,
chemist, Scotland-road, opposite St. Martin's Market.
How it originated has not been exactly ascertained, but
the flames were extinguished by the police before the en-
gines arrived. The counter was partially burned. The
stock was insured in the West of England Office for £7OO.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Saturday an inquest was held
before the Borough Coroner, on view of the body of a
child, five years Of age, named Eliza Winsmore. It ap-
peared, from the evidence, that, upon the morning of that
day, the deceased was run over, in Great Howard-street,
by the Tally-ho omnibus which plies between Liverpool
and Bootle, and belongs to a person named Bradley. The
driver was taken into custody upon the instant, but was
subsequently discharged, Mr. Kaye, the proprietor of the
Courier, having deposed that no blame was attributable
to him, but that the death was purely the result of acci-
dent. A verdict to this effect was returned.

BIRKENHEAD FAIR.—The quarterly fair for the sale
of horned cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, &c., took place on
Tuesday last. The show of cattle was, on the whole,
pretty good, and a number of parties from the neighbour-
hood, as well as from Liverpool, Prescot, &c.. attended
both as sellers and buyers. Cows, of which there was an
excellent supply, realised high prices, especially good
milkers; pigs were scarce, and a considerable advance in
price consequently took place. There was a large stock
of horses, but purchasers were scarce, and complaints
were very general as to the paucity of the business
transacted as well in this as in other departments con-
nected with the fair.

BIRKENHEAD POLICE COURT, THURSDAY.—SeveraI
parties were summoned for allowing goods, &e., to remain
on the footwalks, contrary to the provisions of the im-
provement act. They were warned, and acquitted on pay-
ment of costs. William Parkinson appeared to answer a
summons for laying down a gas pipe, and connecting it
with the Gas Company's main without giving notice. As
it appeared that it was done in ignorance, and with no in-
tention to defraud, the case was not pressed—the object
in bringing it being to warn the pte)lic.—A man, named
Dunn, was fined 20s. and costs (or fourteen days' im-
prisonment in default), for a violent assault on Mary Min-
shull, on Monday night, at Arrow.
THE LARGEST POWER-LOOM SHED IN THE WORLD.
—Messrs. Ainsworth and Son, cotton Spinners, of4his
town, have now nearly completed their most extraordi-
nary power-loom shed. The building covers one and
three-eighths of an acre of ground, and will hold 1650
pairs of looms, which will require 825 hands to superin-
tend them, and 75 horse power to drive them. The shaft-
ing connected with this monstrous shed is now finished :
its length is 6,500 feet. When the whole of the looms
are in motion they will require 28,000 feet of strapping.
There are 3,000 feet of gas piping, and 825 lights will be
required. The roof contains 340 windows, or sky lights,
and is supported by 323 pillars. When the whole of the
looms are in motion, they will turn off 50 yards of cloth
per minute !—Preston Chronicle.
BANK OF MAN CHESTER.—The annual meeting of the
proprietors of this unfortunate concern was held at Man-
chester on Wednesday. The report read on the occasion
stated, that the committee of shareholders appointed at
the last annual meeting to investigate into the affairs of
the bank had arrived at the conclusion that the balance-
sheet presented to the shareholders last October correctly
showed the position of the bank on the 30th of June, and
that the balance•sheet of the 31st of December showed a
considerable realization of assets, and a consequent reduc-
tion of liabilities from £440,236 to £314,778 during the
half-year. By the balance-sheet made up to June, 1843,
the liabilities amounted to £440,936 Os. 10d. and the net
amount of the estimated assets was £388,577 16s. 5d.,
showing a deficiency of £52,358 10s. sd. The total
results of the statement made up to the 30th of June last
was as follows :

£ a. d.
Total assets - - - - 1,183,677 1 3
Deduct estimated losses - - 937,125 3 1

246,551 17 7
Liabilities - - - - 217,573 14 2

Showing a surplus of - 28,178 3 5
The surplus thus shown, added to the previous deficiency,
makes a total difference of £81,336 14s. 10d., which is
accounted for by the receipts on the first call of £2 per
share, amounting to £5.896 95., on the further call due
in January last, amounting to £88,497, and the return
of directors' allowances, amounting to £1,452 165., ma-
king a total of £95,846 ss. The expenses of the year,
amounting to £14,501 Ils. 2d., being deducted from
this amount, leave the difference as quoted above. On
the 30th ult. the! liabilities had been further reduced to
£204,440. The report was adopted.

HOLLINS GREEN REGATTA.—The regatta took place
on Tuesday last, the company was numerous and respect-
able, and the sport good, the boats being well matched.
The distance to be pulled, out and in, was from opposita
Hollins Ferry House. on the Mersey, round a buoy
mooted off at Rixton Hall pier, about three miles. Every
available point for siAt was crowded to excess. The
Warrington Royal Forresters band was stationed on the
Cheshire side, and in their new uniform added much to
the gaiety of the day. One of the Old Quay Company's
vessels, which was decorated with various colours, was
engaged to bring down the Manchester division, and ar-
rived about eleven o'clock, amidst the acclamations of the
assembled throng. The stewards and judge were punctual
to time, and precisely at twelve o'clock the start took
place for the Lancashire stakes, and resulted after a good
race in "Mr. J. Skelmordine's Little Thought Of, beat-
ing Fenoless, Lady Egerton and Mazeppa. The Rixton
stakes next came off—a splendid race—Mr. Burrows
Crusader beating, the Mystery, and the Mersey, by 50
yards. The next race was for the Cheshire stakes, and
was the best contested of the day. The result was Mr.
Nowell's Britannia 1; Miss Lucy 2. The Mystery dis-
tanced. Then came a diverting duck race. The duck,
Catch me if you can; pursuing boats—Little thought of,
and Mr. Jones's Fearless.—Catch me if you can was in a
very small boat, provided with a pair of small sculls. The
two pursuing boats being of great length, could not turn
so quick as the smaller ono, and on several occasions
in coming in contact with each other, gave the duck the
advantage of getting away from them. Eventually Little
thought of caught her and demolished the prize.—The
stewards and their friends adjourned to the lied Lion Inn,
accompanied by the band playing a lively tune. The
evening was spent in right good fellowship.

DOCK UOMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—TIie stro-committee
of works submitted a letter from Messrs. Thomas Vernon
and Co., containing a statement of the terms upon which
they wished to rent the land pointed out to them on the
Harrington Dock estate, and, also, a resolution come to
upon the subject, which was to the effect that Messrs.
Vernon should be allowed to hold the land in question
(about 300 square yards) rent free, until the land at the
north be ready for their reception. After a discussion
which lasted upwards of an hour, the votes •were taken,
when there appeared for the recommendation of the sub-
committee, nine, namely—Messrs. Kendall, Bold, Tobin,
Sandbach, Smith, Holmes, Royden, Trotman, and Nicol.
Against it, seven, namely—the Chairman, Messrs. Mid-
dleton, Ripley, Holt, Aikin, Barclay, and Evans.—Mr.
Evans hoped some limit would he put to the time the land
was to be rent free, and, after some conversation, the
time was limited to eighteen months, and a clause was
ordered to be inserted in the leases, to the effect that no
compensation would be given to parties who should be
required to remove.—A letter from Mr. Cato, requesting
that the rent of land occupied by him might not be in-
creased from Is. to Is. 6d. per square yard, and asking
for a lease, was referred to the sub-committee of works.—
A letter was read from Mr. Wilson, objecting to the clause
in his lease of the land at Brunswick Dock, which prohi-
bited him from sub-letting it. The committee decided
that they would never lease land with rower to sublet ;
and it was urged by Mr. Ripley that the land ought only
to he let for the purpose of shipbuilding.—The Chairman
said that although the necessary notices had been given,
yet it was found impossible, in consequence of the number
of ships in it, to let the Prince's Dock dry these springs,
but that it would be done the first springs in November.—
The sub-committee for the marine department presented
a new telegraphic vocabulary, prepared by the marine
surveyor, and recommended that it should be printed at
the expense of the trust, and sold to the public at the
cheapest possible rate. After some conversation, the de-
cision on this point was deferred for a week.—lt was or-
dered that two assistants should be appointed to the line
of telegraph, in order to supply the place of sick and
absent men.—The marine surveyor reported the death of
Mr. Evans, superintendent of the telegraph station at
Holyhead. Referred to the marine sub-committee to
consider and report. Mr. Aikin said that, after an ac-
quaintance with the deceased for above a quarter of a cen-
tury, he must say that they had lost in himone of the best
public servants—as good a man in his position as any he
knew.—Recommendation for the placing of mushrooms,
capstans, life-buoys, lamps, &c. on the island at the en-
trance to the Canning Dock, was approved.—The number
of days the flags denoting the docks to be full had been
flying at the pier-heads, during the last quarter, was stated
as follows :—Waterloo and Victoria Docks 49, Prince's
57, George's 90, (in this the dredging machine had been
at work 64 days,) Canning 32, King's 27, Queen's 31,
Brunswick 25, Coburg 22, Union 23. Mr. Evans said he
went by the Canning Dock frequently, but he had no re-
collection of seeing any want of room.—At the suggestion
of the master pilots, with the approval of the marine sur-
veyor, the bell-buoy was ordered to be removed half a
mile further in the same line.—Two letters, as to landing
berths for tobacco vessels, was referred to the harbour
master's sub-committee.—A resolution of the finance
committee, as to W. Kelly, was referred to the secretary.
—The committee then adjourned, having sat nearly two
hours.