The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-11-25 00:00:00

THE MERCURY IN A BAD HUMOUR.

followed by the Kentish fire.
Mr. LITTLEDALE acknowledged the compliment in an
affecting and eloquent manner. In electing him, they
had conferred upon him a very high honour, and had also
imposed upon him great responsibility ; but he hoped, by
a faithful discharge of his duties to give satisfaction. He
was before them a young and untried man ; ha had no
past acts to refer to, and could but give promise as to the
future, which, however, he should strive faithfully to re-
deem. He was a Dicky Sam born and bred, and, as the
Chairman had said, a tory of the old school. They had
met to celebrate the triumph of the conservative princi-
ples which had gained them the victory, if it might be so
called, where opposition was not adventured. Those
principles had elevated the country to her proud position
amongst the nations, and they of g'it also to he car-
ried out in municipal government tor the health and
well-being of the town—always bearing in mind (as
be should do) the necessity of promoting the religion of
the young. Such an education of the people would ren-
der the employment of a large police force unnecessary.
The question of the schools would probably again be agi-
tated in the Council, but be trusted they would continue
to be maintained as they now were, for which, at least,
his hest efforts should be directed. He concluded, after
being repeatedly and loudly applauded, by repeating his
sincere thanks, and sat down amidst enthusiastic cheers.
The healths of " Alderman Lawrence, and Councillors
Middleton and Tyrer (the two former of whom were una-
voidably absent) were given, and ably responded to by
Mr. :Tyrer, who expressed his great satisfaction at the
election of Mr. I). Hodgson, as mayor, and his determi-
nation to aid him and others in maintaining the schools
as they were." The toast of " Alderman Sands, and John
North, Esq., with thanks to them for past services," was
next drunk, followed by "The Tory Electors of the
Ward, and may their motto be no surrender," which was
ably replied to by Mr. Byford on their behalf. To that
of " The Mayor and Conservative Electors of the Ward,"
Mr. Share replied in a forcible address, in which he
urged upon the constituency the necessity of doing their
duty in the registration courts. He proposed, with a
high compliment to that veteran, " the health of Mr. Lit-
tledale, senior." Mr. Littledale, junior, feelingly re-
turned thanks, regretting that his father's ill health pre-
vented him from being with them, but assuring them that
his heart was still warm in the cause. With " The Town
and Trade of Liverpool," the Chairman coupled the
name of " Mr. Richard Harbord," and the toast was re-
ceived with prolonged cheers and the Kentish fire. Mr.
Harbord replied in a Vila but felicitous manner. He
trusted they would never forget the two grand principles,
" Fear God, honour the 'King," and that the Council
would never refuse to the poor what they anxiously de-
sired, a sound scriptural education for their children.
He proposed the health Or the Chairman, who said he
hail the cause so sincerely at heart that lie should ever be
found in the battle to uphold it, and after paying a high
compliment to the secretary of the committee for his ac-
tive and telling services, proposed his health as " General
Jackson." Mr. Jackson, in acknowledging the compli-
ment, said he had been connected with the management
of the ward for five years, and had met with encourage-
ments as well as discouragemoats. He urged upon gen-
tlemen the propriety of employing conservative operatives,
in place of Roman Catholics, and others, as some of them
did, from, be believed, mistaken information ; and, after

Our excellent friend of the " paper and a half for six-
ranee" accus s us of want of principle because, i❑ our
last, we brought forward the evidence of a leading Dublin
paper to show that there was no fear of scarcity in Ire-
land, whilst we reprobated the infamous rapacity of the
impostor, O'Connell, displayed in extorting their pence
and shillings from his poor fellow-countrymen, whose
" wretched pittanca of potatoes is rotting in the ground ;"
and he exclaims, with his usual complacency, " How dis-
gusting is this !" We can see much that is disgusting in
O'Connell's heartless conduct, and our contemporary's
attempt to shield it at our expense, but nothing in what
we have said in the paragraph referred to. If our con-
temporary had commo❑ sense, he would see that there is
no:inconsistency in maintaing that " there will be no

scarcity " in Ireland, by which we referred to general
scarcity, although many an individual wretch, upon whose
slender store the great mendicant has fastened his re-
morseless clutch, has his potatoes rotting in the ground.
Our argument went no further than to the question of a
national scarcity—a famine—such as that which the
league is so frequently prophecying. Much necessary in-
dividual suffering we were perfectly ready to admit; but
we are yet to learn that the begging box has passed by the
doors of the poor wretches, who are thus visited with af-
fliction by the hand of providence, and whose robbery, by
O'Connell, the Mercury all but excuses.
The concluding portion of our contemporary's spiteful
and sihy attack we do not precisely understand. "It is
na wonder," he says " that such stuff finds little sale even
at a low price." if our contemporary quarrels with us
because, when compelled by the increasing favours of the
to a supplement, we do not adopt the mi-
' - of our paper, we can

course of increasing 1

y that we

course, which we cc

isfied to abide by our present
-I..nest towards the pub.

der more ti

t will save us the d

,grace of having

to resort to the puffing statements, as to our circulation,
which the Mercury finds it necessary to use, to keep his
head above water. The Mercury knows well that his ex-
torted extra price is barely tolerated, and has given gene-
ral disgust ; and he ought therefore, if wise, to have been
silent. Perhaps, if the truth was known, our contempo-

apori his advertis

pressure

s has passed over, a 61
paper
th A dp,lininp circulation, Will

EASTLAKE'S PICTURE OF " CHRIST BLESSING
LITTLE CHILDREN"

We have been mush gratified by an inspection of this
admirable work, now on private view for a few days, at
Mr. Grundy's in Church-street. The painter has long
been celebrated as foremost in the rank of British artists,
in his conception and execution of scenes illustrative of
interesting passages of Holy Writ, in which he assimilates
more to the chaste style and general excellence of the
ancient Continental artists (whose works he must have
largely studied) than any of his contemporaries ; and in
this last production of his genius he has, in the opinion
of connoisseurs—from the time it was first exhibited at.
the Royal Academy—surpassed all his former achieve-
ments, great as they have been. He has thus fully re-
deemed his country from the reproach—not altogether
undeserved—of failing to produce works equal to the most
appreciated of the ancient school, in this highest depart-
ment of the art. The subject chosen is one of the most
interesting and affecting which the mind of the Christian
can contemplate. He has seized the moment when on
the thsciple's rebuking those who brought their little ones
to see Him, " Jesus said, Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not." The heavenliness of this
passage, which breathes the very essence of loving kind-
ness and
"consideration for the whole human family, the
painter has conveyed, in the " silent eloquence" of his
art, a most impressive pictorial representation, with all
the appropriate and telling adjuncts, and no more, which
refinement of taste, and the legitimate exercise of ima-
gination in details, can supply. About twenty-three
figures of young and old are introduced, surrounding the
Saviour, whose countenance, and the meek yet manly
expression of his eye, just as He has uttered the words,
is exquisitely pourtrayed, expressive in accordance with
his character of calmness and dignity, and of generous
and instructive remonstrance, rather than of hasty re-
proach, which would have been the result in other natures,
for it is recorded that "He was much displeased." On
his lap is seated a beautiful child, who appears to be de-
lighted, and as if afraid of being removed, is securing
himself closer to his bosom, by one foot fixed on his
knee, and one of his little bands gently grasping the
upper part of his garment; gazing upon him in affection-
ate gratitude kneels the mother. Numerous other children
have gathered around him in various attitudes of respect
and kindness. There are also a number of female
figures, two of them with children in their arms. One
of the latter who has just entered the door, holding to
her breast a sleeping infant, is admirably depicted, her
countenance not yet having lost its expression of anxiety,
lest she should not be permitted to approach " the man
of sorrows," but the consoler of all in affliction. The
disciples are variously placed in the back ground ; and all
the countenances are finely drawn and softly coloured in
accordance with what may truly. be conceived the vrats
semblance of a scene at once striking and sublime. The
apartment itself is of the plainest description, and desti-
t4Ll of all meretricious ornaments, the actors alone (in
true taste) being prominent and attractive. The longer
this picture is gazed upon the more it will delight, by the
new fascinations that continue to present themselves ; and
we envy not the feelings of the man who could behold it
without admiration and reverential respect. Our readers
will be glad to learn that it is about to be engraved in the
first line style of the art, by J. R. Watt, Esq. In the
same room may now be seen the large and truly beautiful
series of original water-colour drawings of remarkable
and interesting views of
Coalancent reains, scenes, and oh-
jects in Egypt and Nubia so several other splendid
works recently completed or now in progress.

THE FAMINE CRY.--A correspondent of the Morning
Herald supplies the following facts, which ought to lead
to allay the very unnecessary alarm that is felt in antici-
pation of a deficiency of food between the present time
and next harvest. The general harvest month of 1844
was August; the general harvest month of 1845 was Sep-
tember. From August 1844, to September 1845, that is
13 months, food was supplied by the harvest of 1814.
From September 1845, to August (the usual harvest
month), 1846, that is only 11 months, food will have to be
supplied by the harvest of 1845. If, therefore, the same
quantity of land which produced 13 bushels of corn in
1844, produces but 11 in the present year, the country
will still be amply supplied with food. The yearly agri-
cultural labours from the harvest of 1841 to that of 1845,
extended over 13 months; from the harvest of 1845 to
that of 1816, they will probably extend over 11 months.
The farmer, therefore, who employed 11 men last year,
must employ 13 this year, in order to complete the same
quantity of work, and the labourers, therefore, will be
fully employed.
THE MURDER AT YARMOUTH.—Just twelve months
ago, a woman who kept a shop was robbed and murdered
et Great Yarmouth. Suspicion fell on her next door
neighbour, a man named Y wham ; and on being appre-
hended he turned approver, and accused his three
companions, Hall, lf oyal and Mapes, who were tried and
acquitted. A few days since, Mrs. Dick, the woman who
found the money the miscreants obtained, appeared before
Mr. W. Palmer, the then mayor, and made a statement,
from which it appeared that Hall and Royal had struck
the old woman on the head with a pair of pincers, and
left her for dead. Yarham was along with them and
Mapes in the robbery, and after they had buried the money
they got in Mrs. Candler's house he left. "I went straight
home, said Yarham in his confession to. Mrs. Dick,
and I heard Mrs. Candler moaning, and went in to see,
for I was afraid, as I thought she most surely know us
all. The lard knife was lying on the counter, and she
turned her eyes upon me, when I cut her throat with the
knife; she put her hand to grip the knife, and that is the
way her poor hand became cut." I then said, " Why,
Yarham, then you are the murderer yourself." He said,
" No, it was Hall and Royal who beat her so with the
pincers, that she should not have lived." I asked, " Did
not Mapes meddle with her ? He said, " No, he only
plundered the house." Then I said, "Y ou ought to have
spoken the truth at first, and then things would have been
different." Yarham has left the town, and it is not
known were be is residing. None of the prisoners have
as yet been indicted for the burglary, a circumstance which
has excited surprise ; but now the case must be mod
materially strengthened against them.—Nerwich paper.