The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-17 00:00:00

the prospect of those interests being fairly served by
the existing communications to the eastward. Such

examination of the state of our water communication is
that direction, will shew it to be in the absolute control
of one powerful Nobleman, who by his conntsions has also
a preponderating interest in the direction of the land con-
veyances ; whilst the latter, by an intimate alliance with
each other, now resolved upon, and for which the sanc-
tion of the legislature is sought, threaten the entire
districts which they traverse with a monopoly of en irre-
sistible character.

•
The action of a competing line upon such monopoly
cannot be otherwise than calculated to weaken its power.
The comparative cheapness of the construction of the
Cheshire line, AND AT EASY GRADIENTS, will enable
its proprietors to convey the traffic of the Mersey to
Manchester at a greatly decreased mileage; and thus
even more than compensate for the difference of dis-
tance between the termini. We do not anticipate that,
by the action upon them of such a line, the interests of
the companies owthfs side of the Mersey can be injured,
The interests of the public, however, will certainly be ad-
vanced, some deference to them being thus compelled
from such companies who just now seem little inclined
to consult either the cdnvenience or the pockets of those
whose traffic they exclusively enjoy.
. The case of the promoters, however, must become al-
most resistless, when the whole bearing of the scheme is
brought before the legislature. At the present moment
the city of Chester is, by one railway route (via Liverpool)
48 miles from Manchester, and by the Crewe route, pre-
ferred as saving the crossing of the river Mersey, 52miles,
whilst by the propcsed line the distance is reduced to 40
miles—au important saving, the advantage of which can-
not be overlooked. And, to the west and south-west of
Chester, we have the important mineral districts of North
Wales looking to this line as one which, for the first time
and in the most efficient manner, is to connect them by
railway with the manufacturing districts of Lancashire
and Yorkshire. Nor is the line less important when
viewed as the nearest route front Manchester and the
North to Ireland, by its proposed junction with the Ches-
ter and Holyhead Railway, a feature of the scheme which
trust go far to insure for it the hearty sympathy of go-
vernment.

With these opinions of the advantages held out to this
community and the public, and bearing in mind the im-
portant influence now exercised by the'Board of Trade in
determining the value and deciding the fate of railway pro-
jects, we cannot but think that the now allied companies
on this, the Lancashire side of the Mersey, would do well
to spare themselves the expense of the opposition to this
railway, which they are evidently organising. They may
rest assured that, in such an effort, they will have little of
public sympathy to back them; and we can scarcely ima-
gine what plea they can advance powerful enough to in-
fluence the decision, in their favcur, of a parliamentary
committee. By the spontaneous adoption of a more libe-
ral course of conduct towards the public they might per-
haps have been enabled to command some consideration
of their interests from the legislature; but the mere shew
of deference to the legitimate demands of that public,
which they have substituted for really important and va-
luable improvements of their various lines, will assuredly
not be deemed sufficient to earn for them such considera-
tion or even forbearance.

On Saturday the Smithfield Club Cattle-show was ho-
noured with a visit from her Majesty and his Royal High-
ness Prince Albert.
IMPROVEMENT OF TOXTETH PARK.—LANDING SLIPS
AND MARKET ACCOMMODATION.—A public meeting of
the ratepayers and other inhabitants of Toxteth Park was
appointed to be held at twelve o'clock yesterday, in the
public office, Park-place, for the purpose of receiving the
report of a committee, and adopting resolutions thereon,
upon the subject of landing slips and increased market
accommodation at the south end of the town. Owing to
the unavoidable absence of Dr. Harbord, chairman of the
provisional committee, who was prevented from attending
by a professional engagement at an inquest, and also to a
very meagre attendance, caused, in all probability, by the
meeting being called for at inconvenient hour, an adjourn..
ment was deemed necessary to a future day, of which,
we believe, due notice will be given. The important sub-
jects involved in the forthcoming report have attracted
much attention ; and there can be no doubt that if the
suggestions and recommendations about to be made are
found practical under existing circumstances, they will
very materially promote the comfort and convenience of
the inhabitants of the populous districts to the south.
THE REV. W. G. Warm—An important step has been
taken in the proceedings against this rev. gentleman.
The Vice-Chancellor of Oxford on Saturday promulgated
a notice, in which, after giving a number of extracts from
Mr. Ward's work, entitled "The Ideal of a Christian
Church," it is announced that at a convocation to be
holden on Thursday, the 13th day of February next, the
said passages will be read to the house, and a proposition
submitted that "they are utterly inconsistent with the
articles of the Church of England, and with the declara-
tion made by Mr. Ward in order to his being admitted
to the degrees of B.A. and M.A." If this proposition be
affirmed, a motion will then be made that" Mr. Ward be
degraded from the said degrees!' There is a notification
that Mr. Ward will have an opportunity of showing cause
against the proposi‘ ions. Mr. Ward has published a let..
ter, in which he says that he did not avow himself the
author of the book before, because as Dr. Pusey was not-
heard in justification of his sermon prior to condemnation,
he (Mr. W.) thought it not improbable a similar course
might be adopted towards him, but now that he finds he
will have an opportunity of defending himself before his
judges, he makes the admission of being the author of the
book mentioned, and that he is preparing a pamphlet,
the object of which will be to enforce the position " that
his subscription to our formularies is as perfectly consis-
tent with ' good faith,' as the subscription of any single
member of the church."
THE GREAT BRITAIN.--We have inserted a paragraph
in another column announcing the release of this vessel
from the Bristol docks. •On Thursday morning she made
a trial trip, and as the engines were of course stiff, she
was started with six revolutions only, at which she made
about four knots. On passing Portishead, at 12 o'clock,
the revolutions were increased to 9f per minute, when she
made a 6.1 log; revolutions gave a log of 7 knots;
revolutions a rate of 71 knots. The steam was kept at
this point for some time, and then increased to 12 revo-
lutions, when she gave 8 knots as her rate of speed. At
this period, being then near the Holmes, the experiment
of turning her round with the helm bard down was tried;
she came round in nine minutes, making a circle of rather
more than half-a-mile in diameter. She was then tried a
second time, with the helm at only 30 degrees, when she
came round in a most beautiful manner in six minutes,
and in a less distance. When going the straight course
the stupendous mass answered her helm most readily,
taking not more than one spoke of the wheel, and re-
quiring only one man at it. In returning homewards the
speed of the engines was gradually increased to 13 revolu-
tions, at which she gave 8+ knots, and to 16 and 161 revo-
lutions, when she went through the water at 11 knots,
against a strong head wind, passing easily the Sampson,
the fastest paddle-boat out of Bristol. At this rate of
going the steam was cut off by the expansion-valve at 1
foot, or one-sixth of the stroke, six of the fires not having
been lit during the whole trip. The engines worked per-
fectly smooth, and without the slightest vibration or
tremor being felt in any part of the vessel. The screw-
propeller during these experiments was not fully im-
mersed, the ship's draught of water abaft being only 14
feet 6, and about 12 feet forward, arid no doubt existed in
the minds of any of those present versed in such matters,
among whom was Mr. Smith, the patentee of the Archi-
medean screw, that upon the next experiment, or when
the revolutions of the engine are increased to 20 in a
minute, a speed of from 12 to 13 knots can be easily ob-
tained. When the vessel was going 11. knots the screw-
propeller was only going 12, making the slip or loss only
one-eighth and a third per cent., and which slip will of
course be diminished when the screw-propeller is entirely
immersed. When going at her best speed there was no
swell whatever under the bows, her stem cutting through
the water just as the fastest Thames boats do.
LAUNCH OF A NEW IRON STEAMER.—On Saturday
afternoon last, a splendid new iron steamer, built for the
Whitehaven Steam Navigation Company, and intended
to ply in consort with the Countess and Earl of Lonsdale,
between this port and Whitehaven, was launched from
the building-yard of Messrs. Thos. Vernon and Sons,
North shore. Shortly before two o'clock, the time ap..
pointed for the ceremony, the yard was crowded with
spectators, and the temporary stage erected at her bow
was thronged with the elite of the town, including the
worshipful the mayor, who was accompanied with a no
less personage than Mohen Lal, an Indian prince, from
Affghanistan, whose splendid dress and general extraor-
dinary appearance created much curiosity. He is taking
a tour through England, and is at present saying at the
Waterloo Hotel. At the appointed time the usual prepa-
ratory orders for launching were given, and after the dag-
gers were drawn, as if to give all an opportunity of view-
ing her stately entrance to that limpid element on which
we trust she may long successfully ply,—for a moment
she held her position, and then the ponderous mass slowly
and majestically moved, increasing her velocity till she
left the ways, when dipping her bows as if to acknowledge
the vociferous cheers with which she was greeted, she
momentarily became stately as the monarch whose name
bedecked the ensign sent aloft, and few, we think, could
withhold admiring the noble appearance of the " Queen,"
—a title given her by Miss Dowson, the daughter of the
principal of the firm of Dowson and Son, the agents of
the Company for whom she has been constructed. The
Queen has every appearance of being an excellent model,
she is particularly fine at the water line, free in the en-
trance, and clear in the run, and Is built with every modern
improvement under the able superintendence of J. Gran-.
them, Esq., the consulting mechanical engineer to the
company. The whole of her side frames and deck beams
ate composed of Messrs. Kennedy and Vernon's patent
shaped iron, which combines a greater strength with a
less proportionate weight than any other
yet adopted.
She is, what sailors would call, clencher built—the joints
of the outer plates overlapping each other, a principle
which will no doubt give a great additional strength. The
Queen is 450 tons burthen, and her cabins, which will be
fitted to accommodate 40 passengers,- will be decorated
throughout with papier mache ; the panne' paintings
from Messrs. Jennings and Bettridge, of Birmingham.;
and the ornaments by Mr. J. R. Keys, of this town. A
full length figure of our lovely sovereign decorates her
bows, and a graceful scroll of carved work runs from the
figure to the hawse boles. She has raised quarter galleries,
and her stern is richly ornamented with relieved scroll, in
foliage work. She will be propelled with the fine.t engines,
manufactured by Messrs. Fawcett, Preston, and Co., on
their direct action principle. the efficacy of which has al-
ready been shown in a model now employed at their works.
She will be rigged as a three masted schooner, and will be
commanded by Capt. Thompson,
a gentleman universally
respected, and who for
years bas had the charge of the
Earl of Lonsdale; she is expected to make the passage
in about six hours, and when the railways, now in con-
templation in West Cumberland, are completed, the
greatly augmented,
traffic between the ports will be

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