The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-11 00:00:00

such a spinner as you are ? Shake hands now, an there's
a kiss for you. If I won this kemp, it was won more by
chance than by anything else.'

on the contrary, they soothed her so much that sh _
her hand cordially to her young and interesting con-
they all repaired to a supper of new

milk and flummery, than which there is nothing more de-
licious within the wide range of luxury. This agreeable

Mickey M`Grory, the fiddler, was installed in his own pe-
culiar orchestra, consisting of an arm-chair of old Irish
oak, brought out from Gerald Cavanagh's parlour.

THE MAGAZINES.
The Dublin University commences the year with more

tiitir.nf_ve►lllahle andinti,resting matter.
Amongst the reviews in the present number, a review of
Owen Madden's " Revelations of Ireland," and the Rev.
M. Vicary and Father Prout's works upon Rome, are very
clever. " The Fatal Bride " is a well told tale ;as is the
first part of " The Apothecary's Wife,"—a Russian story.
The political article on Irish politics shall receive, as it
deserves, a more extended notice.

Blackwood's Magazine has this month two political
articles—the first entitled " Thirty Years of Liberal Legis-
lation," and the second, " Ireland and the Ministerial
Measures ;" both of which are well worthy of a careful
perusal. Our old favourite is also fertile in interesting
and valuable matter, amongst the best of which are the
tales entitled " Evenings at Sea," and a " Night's Peril,"

in another style. The article on the periodical literature
should be read with attention by parties on both sides of
the Atlantic.

• Fraser's Magazine for the present month is an excel-
lent number. We have extracted largely from its first
article, " The Manufacturing Poor." We shall return to
some articles on other subjects.

A FLATTERED DESCRIPTION OP LANCASHIRE.—A
noble county, believe us, kind reader, is that of Lancaster,
notwithstanding its tall chimneys, and black-mouthed
coal-pits, and smoke-begrimmed faces. and swarthy
artizans, and covered operatives. The Southern shrinks
from it as a pestilence. " Only think of Manchester,
your royal highness !" was Brummell's exclamation, when
his regiment was ordered thither.. Even the bishopric
went begging for awhile. The Londoner would almost as
soon be stuck up to the neck in a Tipperary bog, as be
fixed in a manufacturing town. But, over the wide world,
noint out to us a district of the same extent as Lanca-
shire with the same properties of greatness. In this
much-maligned county there are fields as green, and
landscapes as fair, as eye can rest on. Nowhere is agri-
culture, in its science and practice advancing more rapidly.
From beneath its surface coal is dug out by brawny arms
to turn the machinery of the monster factory, and to
cheer the fireside of the humble cottage. From its
mountain-sides the stoneis quarried in abundance. Along
its picturesque valleys the dancing water-fall, is made
available for turning the wheels of the mill, and the wild
beauties of nature are trained to the service of the practi-
cal and useful. Railways intersect the county like net-
work, affording unusual facilities of transit. On its
rivers float the argosies of a hundred lands ; and from its
ports are borne its manufactures to the four corners of
the earth. Its inhabitants are characterised by a sterling
intellect of Saxon parentage, polished and whetted by the
daily attrition of commercial dealings. Many a strong
mind has struggled up from the weaver's loom, till it has
enriched the literature of the day, or increased the com.
forts of man by its practical inventions. A noble coun-
ty, indeed, with all its failings ! a county " whose mer-
chants are princes," whose women are witches," and
whose working men are trong enough to " whip the
world."--Fra.ser's Magazine.

OVERCROWDING OF THE METROPOLITAN GRAVE-
YARDS.—Accurate returns have been made of the superfi-
cial extent of the parochial and some other burial grounds
of the metropolis, and of the numbers of bodies annually
interred in each. The annual average number of burials
per acre, for the seven descriptions of burial places com-
prised in the intramural grounds, is stated in these official
returns to be 2,271. Now, if we divide this by 7, we have
the average for each, which gives 324 burials annually to
the acre. From the total we may fairly extract the burial
places of the Jews, and those of the Society of Friends,
which are well conducted. This will give us five species
of grounds, with an annual average of 2,130 burials to the
acre, or an average of 426 for each. The proper number,
you will remember, is 136 to the acre; in Germany, the
average is only 110 burials per acre per annum. Thus, at
the first glance, it is evident that our parish grave-yards
are made to receive every year three times as many bodies
as they ought, and four times as many as are permitted
by the laws of well-regulated continental states. The in-
evitable crowding of our churchyards may be illustrated in
anyther way. The annual mortality of the metropolis, at
a low computation, is 50,000. Now, supposing the bu-
rials to be renewed every ten years (and this is the shortest
period that should be allowed for the decomposition of the
human body), 444 acres would be required, whereas we
have only 209. But this is not all. There are 182 paro-
chial graveyards in London. Of these, only 48 are con-
fined within the proper limit of 136 burials to the acre ;
the rest exhibit various degrees of saturation, from 200 up
to 3000 per acre annually. This is scarcely credible, but
official returns confirm the truth of what I assert. In
very many the annual average per acre exceeds 1000.—
From .Mr. G. A. Walker's Fourth Lecture on Metro-
politan Graveyards.
ACLERICAL DOCTOR—It would surprise many of our fair
readers were we to relate with what unreserved freedom
the clergyman is admitted into the secrets of all family
ailments. The poor seem to think he is entitled to the
full privilege of the doctor. We ourselves have made a
point of declining—with many grateful acknowledgements
—all the delicate investigations which old women would
have pressed upon us. From the non-observance of this
rule, a clerical friend of ours, not long ago, was placed in
a singular predicament. We heard the tale from his own
mouth, and can vouch for its truth. He has a country
living—surrounded, however, by manufacturing towns,
and inhabited chiefly by hand-loom weavers. He acts
not only as their spiritual physician, but takes equal pride
in administering to the relief of their bodily ailments.
He is consulted by the old women far and wide, and is
considered unrivalled in his knowledge of the Pharma-
copecia. Being an old soldier—a Waterloo officer—it is
supposed that he picked up his skill somewhere abroad, or
on the field of battle. Some go so far as to say that on
one occasion he was shut up four-and-twenty hours with
an Egyptian necromancer. One night last winter he was
retiring to rest about eleven o'clock : his house was quiet,
and his household was in bed ; when he was startled by a
thundering knock at the door. " Holloa ! who's thee ?"
he inquired from his bedroom window. " James Jack-
son," was the laconic answer. " Mother's badly."

" Does your motherwant meto-night ?" " Ay, directly !"
was the stubborn reply. Our friend was decidedly sulky
as he contrasted the warmth of his bed with the • cold
without but., being too good a disciplinarian to break
ecclesiastical canons, he re-adjusted his coat and waist-
coat, muffled up his throat, threw on his veteran roque-
laure, and started off with his parishioner—a lubberly lad
of nineteen. It was a frosty, moonlight night; on the
two trudged over the crisp snow ; when, after walking
about half a mile, our friend's temper began to cool by
degrees ; and, turning round to his companion, he said,
in his usual kind tone,—" Well, and is your mother very
poorly ?" "Ay, hoo's (she's) vara badly at present.'
" But she is likely to get better, I hope ?" " Ay, ay,
hoo'll mend, happen (nerhans). after bit_"_f.l-WhAt!
the matter with her, do you know ?' "0, ay, I know.
Hoo's labboring (in labour).' " Labboring ! labboring !"
shrieked our friend, turning round fiercely upon his fellow-
traveller. " What do you mean by coming for me ?
Labboring ; go for Dr. Potts this instant. Labboring !
Am I a man-midwife, think you ?" " Well, well," was
the imperturable reply, " Folks says ye're vara skilfu' in
chymistering, and"—scratching his head, and looking his
pastor imploringly in the face—" a labbor's ten and six-
pence."—Fraser's Magazine.

THE REVENUE

An Abstract of the Net Produce of the Revenue of Great
Britain, in the Years and Quarters ended the sth of

Jan., 1847 an,

I 1848, showing the Increase or Decrease

thereof

EARS ENDED JANUARY 5

1848,

THE NATIONAL DEFENCES.

The Morning Chronicle of Tuesday, publishes the let.
ter of the Duke of Wellington, on the national defences,
respecting which so much has been said of late. It was;
dated "Strathfieldsaye, 9th Jan. 1847," and is addressed
to 1* Maj.-Gen. Sir Jr. J. Burgoyne, K.C.8., &c."—"My
Dear General.—Some days have elapsed, indeed a fort-
night since has, since I received your note, with a copy
of your observations on the possible results of a war with
France, under our present system of military preparation.
You are aware that I have for years been sensible of the
alteration produced in maritime warfare and operations,
by the application of steam to the propelling of ships at
sea. This discovery immediately exposed all parts of the
coasts of these islands, which a vessel could approach at
all times of tide and in all seasons, by vessels so propelled,
from all quarters. We are in fact assailable, and at least,
liable to insult, and to have contributions levied upon us
on all parts of our coast ;. that is, the coast of these
islands, including the Channel Islands, which to this time,
from the period of the Norman conquest, have never been
successfully invaded.

" I have in vain endeavoured' to awaken the attention
of different administrations to this state of things, as well
known to our neighbours (rivals in power, at least former
adversaries and enemies) as it is to ourselves.
" I hope that your paper may be attended with more
success than my representations have been.

"l have above, in few words, represented our danger.
We have no defence, or hope of defence, excepting in our
fleet.

" We ought to be with garrisons as follows at the mo-
ment war is declared :

Channel Islands (besides the militia of each
well organised, trained, and disciplined) 10,000 men.-
Plymouth
Milford Haven 5,000 men.
Cork
Portsmouth
Dover . . 10,000 men.,
Sheerness, Chatham, and the Thames lO,OOO men..
" I suppose that one-half of the whole regular force of
the country would be stationed in Ireland, which half
would give the garrison for Cork. The remainder must,
be supplied from the half of the whole force at home sta-
tioned in Great Britain.

" The whole force stationed at home in Great Britain
and Ireland would not afford a sufficient number of men
for the mere defence and occupation, on the breaking out
of war, of the works constructed for the defence of the
dock-yards and naval arsenals, without leaving a single
man disposable.
" The measure upon which I have earnestly entreated
different administrations to decide, which is constitu-
tional, and has been invariably adopted in time of peace
for the last eighty years, is to raise, embody, organise,
and discipline the militia of the same numbers for each of
the three kingdoms united as during the late war. This
would give a mass of organised force amounting to about
150,000 men, which we might immediately set to work to
discipline. This alone would enable us to establish the
strength of our army. This, with an augmentation of
the force of the regular army, which would not cost
£400,000, would put the country on its legs in respect to,
personal force, and I would engage for its defence, old
as I am.

" But as we stand now, and if it be true that the exer-
tions of the fleet alone are not sufficient to provide for
our defe..ce, we are not safe for a week after the declara-
tion of war

" I am accustomed to the consideration of these ques-
tions, and have examined and reconnoitred, over and over
again, the whole coast from the North Foreland, by
Dover, Folkstone, Beachy Head, Brighton, Arundel, to
Selsey Bill, near Portsmouth, and I say that, excepting
immediately under the fire of Dover Castle, there is not
a spot on the coast on which infantry might not be thrown
on shore, at any' ime of tide, with any wind, and in any
weather, and from which such body of infantry, so thrown
on shore, would not find, within the distance of five
miles, a road into the interior of the country, through the
cliffs, practicable for the march of a body of troops.
" That in that space of coast (that is between the North
Foreland and Selsey Bill), there are not less than seven
small harbours or mouths of rivers, each without defence,
of which an enemy, haviiig landed infantry on the
coast, might take possession, and therein land his cavalry
and artillery of all calibre, and estahhsh himself and his
communication with France.

" The nearest part of the coast to the metropolis is un-'
doubtedly the coast of Sussex, from the east and west
side of Beachy Head and Selsey Bill. There are not less
than twelve great roads leading from Brighton upon Lon-
don, and the French army must' be much altered indeed,
since the time at which I was better acquainted with it,
if there are not now belonging to it forty chefs d'etat,
(Major-Generals), capable of sitting down and ordering
the march to the coast of 40,000 men, their embarkation,
with their horses and artillery, at the several French ports
on the coast ;. their disembarkation at named points on
the English' coast, that of the artillery and cavalry in
named ports or mouths of rivers, and the assembly at
named points of the several columns ; and the march of
eaoh of these from stage to stage to London.
" Let any man examine our maps and road books, con-
sider of the matter, and judge for himself.
" France having been in possession of nearly every ca-
pital in Europe, and having levied contributions in each,
and having had in its possession, or under its influence,
the whole of Italy, Germany, and Poland, is reduced to
its territorial limits as they stood in 1792.

wecomposing
m.
dsiFoLsTi
iclocgs
tut we should akd
,lcoetnwd
ignrclge„ ttfdiiisla.curaptch-i
islandsuo ' 1 lydp wothe Channel Islands, on which an invader had
never established himself since the period of the Norman

Conquest ?
" I am bordering upon seventy-seven years of age passed