The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-08-16 00:00:00

THE PROVINCIAL PRESS.

Whatever the motive on the part of one ofout contemporaries,
we are much inclined to thank him for drawing public attention to
a parliamentary return relating to the circulation of the pro-
vincial press, so far as we are concerned. Unlike some of our
neighbours, we have not to labour to prove that " but for such
or such p. reason, our circulation would have been so and so."
—We fight speak of the stamps we have used in addition to
those which appear against the " Liverpool Standard"- in the
return ; but all that -we throw overboard. We are perfectly
content to rest upon our 37,000 copies; only begging our read-
ers to recollect that, although in a very thriving and promising
state, we are still quite in our infancy; and at the date of the
return in question we were precisely four months and eight
days old. A simple rule in arithmetic will enable any of them
to determine our circulation at that period; since when, only
two of the four elementary rules of tbat science—addition and
multiplication—have been brought into practice with us. The
other two rules, which we need not name, we leave to the fa-
miliar study of our rivals. On the 23d of November in the
present year we shall celebrate our first birthday; and our
thanks will be most especially due to any right honourable or
honourable gentleman who will, as speedily as may be after
that day, move for a similar return of the circulation 'of the
provincial press.
It may be vanity—but we think such a return would be gall
and wormwood to many we could name; and we will venture,
by anticipation, to place our numbers against those of three of
our contemporaries—we do not mean any one of three—but the
three together.

NEW HALF-TIDE CHANNEL IN THE RIVER MERSEY.

We feel peat pleasure in being able to congratulate the en-
terprising merchants and ship-owners engaged in the trade of
th?s port, on the success which has attended the exertions of
Lieut. Denham, aided by Lieut. Robinson, (who were deputed
by the Board of Admiralty to make a survey of the river,)
in ascertaining the existence of a new half-tide channel, at once
affording the most invaluable and increased facility of naviga-
tion in the approach to the port of Liverpool. It is scarcely
possible to attach too much importance to the result of the in-
teresting and unwearied labours of these gentlemen, who have
been most indefatigably engaged in their surveys since the
period of their arrival in Liverpool. We are informed that
the advantages stated to be comprised by the discovery of this
new half-tide channel are these :—that a maritime intercourse
may be pursued at all hours, and that a channel to seaward is
progressively forming, which affords, at the present time, twelve
feet water at two hours' flood, and seventeen feet at half tide;
that a ship coming in with an easterly wind can stand up the
Crosby Channel, approaching from the northward, at as early
a period of the tide as the Rock Channel affords.
Considering that Liverpool is about to enter on a new sera
in the employment and extension of her trade and shipping to
China, we hail this boon as the more welcome, coaling, as it
does, at a period when vessels of a large size arc likely to be
engaged in the China trade, and when every species of in-
creased facility and security to navigation generally, will be
not only required, but called most fully into action.

Prince Esterhazy has fulfilled, since his return to town, his
engagementg to his creditors. The present month was origin-
ally appointed for paying the balance, and a sum nearly amount-
jug to £30,000, has been paid within the last few days.

The final departure of Baron Nieutnann, the late Austrian
Charge d'Affaires, is said to have broken off a contemplated
matrimonial alliance between his Excellency and a wealthy
Dowager Countess, still in the prime of life, and possessing
many personal attractions.

FATAL ACCIDENT OFF SCARBOROFGH.—This watering-place
was thrown into great alarm on Monday. About noon that
day, the James Watt steam-packet, from London to Edinburgh,
hove in sight, when a coble, named the Friends, of Scarborough,
Clayburn, master, put off with six passengers and their luggage,
to proceed to the packet. The colale had also on board three
seamen, and nine dogs belonging to one of the passengers,
Proceeding to the Moors. When the coble arrived within about
ten yards of the packet, then about a mile distant from the
shore, the sea being very rough, the wind N.N.E., caused the
packet to take a sudden lurch, by which she descended upon the
Coble, and the paddle-box completely upset her. Two other
cobles were at a short distance, and lent all assistance to those
immersed in the water. The seamen on board the cobles ex-
erted themselves, and by their exertions, and those of Lord
William Lennox, who was on board, the lives of all the passen-
gers, except one, were preserved: that one was Mr. George,
Johnstone, Collector of the Customs at Hull, who had come to
Scarborough the Saturday preceding, and was then intending
to proceed by the packet to Leith. This gentleman was laid
hold of in the water by Clayburn, the master of the coble, but
while bearing him up, the packet took another lurch, 'and the
paddle box struck Mr. Johnstone on the head, by which Clay-
burn lost him for nearly a minute. When he again caught him,
Mr. Johnstone was floating with his face downward, and dis-
played no signs of life, though his eyes were partly open.—
.Clayburn bore him to a coble, with the other passengers, but.
he was quite dead. The other sufferer a gamekeeper, proceed-
ing to the Moors with dogs, was withmuch difficulty restored.
The dogs were saved, and the greater part of the luggage was
recovered. An inquest was held ou Tuesday at the Town-hall,
hefore the coroners for the borough.' The veidict was—" We
find that the deceased came to his death by the accidental up-
setting of the coble, caused by the lurching of the packet.
We wish to express our dissatisfaction at the conduct of the
captain of the packet in not coming nearer shore for the pur-
pose of taking in passengers, and we lay a deodaud of £2O on
the packet." We understand the deceased was a widower, and
has left five children. Lord Wm. Lennox came on shore with
the sufferers, and paid them every attention. On returning to
the packet he also had a narrow 'escape, for in seizing a rope
which was thrown to the coble in which he was, he was dragged
overboard, and was in the water several minutes before he
could be got up, and then was much exhausted.—lork Herald.