The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-03-14 00:00:00

SALARIES OF POST-OFFICE CLERKS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
Sitt,—You have my most cordial thanks for your able
advocacy of the rights of the poor ill-requited Post-office
Clerk. It is high time the truth became universally
known, and I trust that your remarks will prove effica-
cious, and rouse the public to dema•ad a fair remunera-
tion for their services ; a faithful discharge of which
interests every individual. Their hours are longer—
their duties more monotonous-o.mo any other class of
persons. They are deprived of all Sabbath privileges,
axcluded.from Institutions, ant/. the genial influence of

lectures, and still their salaries are smaller. Respecta-
bility must be supported, decent habiliments are expected
—and above all honesty is required. Now is it not in-
human to give the first impetus to theft, and then severely
punish you for the act ? Perhaps it was to save a family
from starvation, or to protect you from the authorities or
free you from expulsion. Their responsibilities being so
great—their duties of such vital importance—the least
digression may entail misery to a whole community. It
is highly essential that the public voice should be heard
in this matter, and their true condition be represented in
our Senate.

You will highly oblige me by accepting these few re-
marks, as they are the true sentiments of one of the
unfortunate class. I average 14 hours per day—Sunday
included—and T only receive the paltry pittance of £6O
per annum. You will pardon all errors, for I have not
opportunities to improve, in order to rectify them.
INDEX.
[The above letter we received by post. and is dated
from a manufacturing town in this comity.]

TIIE CHOLERA

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—Should it please God to realise the gloomy ex-
pectations of those who predict an incursion of cholera,
would it not be prudent for the authorities of the town to
be prepared with a digest of plans to be brought into ac-
tion without confusion ?

I am not aware how far the authorities may be influ-
enced by the system recommended by Dr. Hawthorne ;
but as that system contains highly objectionable plans,
perhaps the authorities may consider it useful to convene
a meeting of the medical gentlemen of Liverpool. to de-
liberate seriously on the most efficient, humane, and
economic mode of accommodation for the poor at so
afflicting a period.
It has been long a well-established fact. that cholera is
a curable disease if promptly attended to, provided the con-
stitution of the patient be not previously exhausted by
age, by disease, or intemperance; and it is almost equally
certain that cholera is not contagious.
The pathology and treatment of cholera, or any other
disease, are indelicate subjects for the columns of a public
journal. The profession should discuss them at their
meetings, and through the medium of the medical peri-
odicals. Yours, respectfully,
March 10, 1848. MEDI CUS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SlR,—Having seen in your paper a few weeks since an
article descriptive of a new machine for cleansing chimneys,
I was induced to give it a trial in my kitchen flues, which
are most difficult of access, acutely angular, and circui-
tous, the result was such as gave me every satisfaction.
In the men attendant, there was all the precision and
order, necessary to be observed in premises where valuable
property is laying about, and each being numbered gives
a security highly desirable. There was from the several
flues a much greater quantity of soot than was ever pre-
viously abstracted. I personally think it the duty of all
housekeepers to encourage this invention, which promises
to obviate what the law has been futile in achieving—a
total abolition of climbing boys.—l am, sir, yours, &c.

W. E. WHITEMAN

Brunswick Hotel,

E3istrirtlus,

REPRESENTATION OF MANCHESTER.—An attempt is
being made to get up a numerously-signed requisition to
Mr. Gibson, calling upon him to resign his seat. The
Morning Chronicle states that if the effort should be
successful, it is in contemplation to request Mr. J. A.
Roebuck, th 6 late member for Bath, to come forward.
PAWNING WITH A VENGEANCE.—During the past
week, a person brought to a certain pawnbroker's shop
in this town a wheelbarrow! to be pawned, upon which lie
only wanted a trifling sum, but it was refused. Only last
week, another person offered a great hand-truck, but it
was also refused.—Preston Pilot.

SUICIDE OF A SHAREBROKER.-Mr. John Townley,
of Manchester, sharebroker, committed suicide, on Friday.
His friends had observed a considerable degree of excite-
ment in his manner for the last few days, which was be-
lieved to have been caused by the recent stirring events in
France, and by the disturbances in Glasgow, Edinburgh,
LDndon, and Manchester, apprehensions regarding which
seemed to have greatly agitated him. We understand
that this melancholy event cannot be traced to any anxiety
about his own affairs, which were in a perfectly satisfactory
condition.

EMPLOYMENT IN MANCHESTER.—The returns of last
week state that there are five fewer mills working full
time with a full complement of hands, two of which are
at present working full time with a portion only of the
hands ; two are working short time ; and one is stopped
altogether. There are 1,615 fewer operatives employed
full time in the cotton mills, 989 of whom have gone on
short time, and 928 are thrown out of employment
altogether. Of the total works included in the table,
there are nine fewer working full time, of which eight
have gone on short time, and one is stopped altogether.
There are 3,789 operatives fewer working full time, of
whom 2,818 have gone on short time, and 971 have been
thrown wholly out of employment. The return is, there-
fore, of a very unfavourable character.

THE BOILER EXPLOSION NEAR ROCHDALE.—An ad-
journed inquest was held on Friday, respecting the deaths
of the four young men who were killed by the explosion
of the steam-boiler at Blue Pitts. Mr. Nasmyth, of
Patricroft, gave it as his opinion that the boiler had had
too much pressure. It appeared by other evidence that
when the explosion took place, the guage was at 14 inches ;
it had usually been worked at 18 inches' pressure. Mr.
Robert Wilkinson, engineer, at the Lowmoor Company,
near Bradford, where the engine was made, said that the
engine, when made, was not intended to work at more
than six inches' pressure. In 1843, the boiler was re-
paired, a.,1 two stays put in it, and. of late it had been
worked at 18 inches' pressure ; and previous to the stays
being placed in it, it had been worked at 12 inches' pres-
sure. There was no evidence to show that Mr. Walker,
or the manager at the mill, were at all implicated, but
that the management of the engine had been left to the
engineer, who was one of the four men killed ; he had
been engineer about six months, at I4s. per week wages ;
he had been fireman twelve months previous to that. The
fireman had had his situation only three weeks, at 10s. per
week wages. The jury returned the following verdict :
" That William Wild and the others came to their deaths
by the bursting of a steam-boiler, the stays of which were
insecure ; and it is the opinion of the jury that two of the
cotters were out at the time of the explosion. The jury
are also of opinion that the boiler was never intended to
sustain the pressure to which it has been subjected for
some time back."

ATTEMPTED MURDER.—On Saturday, as Mr. Howard,
one of the clerks at the Preston railway station was re-
turning to the station from his tea, a powerful man pushed
against him, and immediately Mr. lloward was struck to
the ground, from a violent blow from a bludgeon or life-
preserver, upon the back part of the head. Mr. Howard
called for assistance, shouting " Murder," as loud as he
could, and then the murderer either struck or kicked him
while upon the ground, over the eye, inflicting a deep
gash. The ruffian again struck his victim upon his fore-
head, and then attempted to tear open Mr. Howard's
great coat. Mr. Howard had that day received his month's
salary from the railway company, amounting to £6, and
had, at the time the murderous attempt was made:upon his
life, £5 and some odd-shillings in his possession. The assas-
sin must in all probability have been aware of the circum-
stance, and his object had evidently been to murder him,
in order to obtain possession of the sum of money which
he had at the time upon his person. Providentially,
however, both his murderous and felonious- designs were
frustrated ; for, soon after Mr. Howard had been knocked
down in the brutal manner we have described, footsteps
were heard approaching, and frightened the ruffian away
before he could accomplish his purpose of robbing his
victim. Assistance was promptly obtained to remove the
unfortunate gentleman, and, as the best place, he was
conveyed to the railway station ; but, by the time he
arrived there, he was in a most deplorable condition, his
clothes and face being covered with blood, and himself
being quite exhausted. He presented a most frightful
object to look upon, the murderous ruffian who attacked
him having, by the first blow, fractured the higher portion
of the back of his skull, the bone being driven into the
head. There was, also, two long deep gashes across Mr.
Howard's forehead and eyes, the latter being completely
swollen up, and his face being greatly disfigured all over.
DISTURBANCES IN MANCHESTER.—Some disturbances
occurred in Manchester on Wednesday last, which would
seem to have some connexion with a revival of the anti-
poor-law agitation. On the evening of Wednesday, a
mob of several hundred men and women assembled in
front of the workhouse in Tib-street, and after mu&
yelling, demanded that all the inmates should be dis-
charged ; or, as they termed it, liberated. Of course,
the demand was not complied with ; and a strong body of
police being immediately on the spot, persuasive means
were resorted to, for the removal of the crowds, and even-
tually, by physical demonstration the rioters were com-
pelled to retire and disperse. Meanwhile the mayor and
magistrates assembled at the Town-hall, where, at 10
p.m., they were deliberating on the best means for pre-
venting or repelling further outrage. On Thursday morn-
ing, at ten o'clock, a disorderly meeting took place at the
New Cross, when about 1,000 persons assembled. They
were addressed by a young Irishman, who proposed that
they should march in procession to a piece of waste ground
outside the town, where their tyrant masters could not
interfere. They formed, and marched down Oldham-
road, and arrived at the spot indicated, breaking windows
as they went, and their numbers increasing considerably.
They were addressed by the same young man, who attri-
buted all the evils that the working people laboured under
to the aristocracy, and exhorted his hearers to imitate the
Scottish patriots, who had so nobly vindicated their title
to the name of freemen. He proposed that they should
march to the various mills and workshops, and obtain
sympathy from the people ; and he exhorted them, fur-
ther, not to destroy any property, the destruction of
which would be of no service to them. The mob formed
again, giving three cheers for the young French republic,'
and proceeded up Bradford road to Kelly's mill, where
they invited the hands to join them ; and, after some time,
the engines were stopped, and the hands came out. The
owners of the mill were taken by surprise, as no prepara-
tions were made to receive the mob. At Messrs. Birley's
mill, the mob met with a resolute opposition, both from
the police and workpeople, and were compelled to retire.
A short skirmish took place about four o'clock, in Black-
friars-street, near the Exchange, between the mob and
the police, headed by Captain 'Willis, in which he did not
exhibit much moderation. The rioters were speedily
routed. The shops in the neighbourhood were tempo-
rarily closed. A disturbance commenced in front of the
Tib-street workhouse at three o'clock on Wednesday
afternoon, and it was not until after seven o'clock that the
people were driven from the neighbourhood: The rioters
on Wednesday evening attacked the police-station in
Oldham-road, and put out the lamps in that densely
.po-
pulated district. Having broken up the stalls in South-

field-market, they armed themselves with the fragments.
and threatened further mischief. Many collisions took
place between the police and the people. The military
were under arms, and_ the mayor and magistrates held
constant sittings at the Town-hall, when a great number
of the respectable inhabitants were sworn in as special
constables. On Friday, such of the rioters as had been
captured were brought up at the Borough Court. The
first were quite boys, who had been apprehended whilst
assisting to break some windows and lamps, and they were
remanded. Another batch consisted of seven lads, who
were charged with rioting, they were committed to the
assizes for trial. On Friday evening there was a slight
renewal of disturbances in Ancoats, where a number of
lads, in all probability young thieves, tried to create con-
fusion by breaking and extinguishing the street lamps.
A party of police, however, were soon on their track ; and
after a long chase, succeeded in coming up with them,
and gave them some excellent reasons for remembering
the mischief in which they had been engaged. A party
of men, who attempted to rescue these •s-oung scamps front
the chastisement which they had earned, were also soundly
thrashed, and driven out of the streets, which have since
been tolerably quiet.

LANCASTER ELECTION.--The nomination took place on
Wednesday, at the Town-hall. Mr. Robert Baines Arm-
strong, Recorder of Manchester, a thorough Liberal and
Freetrader, was proposed by Mr. John Gregg, and se-
conded by Mr. W. B. Bolden. Tne Hon. Edward Henry
Stanley, eldest son of Lord Stanley, was proposed by Mr.
Godson, M. P., and seconded by Mr.. John Bond. Mr.
Armstrong in his address to the electors, declared himself
an enemy of the income tax, on account of its injustice,
and a friend to education and sanatory reform. Mr.
Stanley declared himself no advocate of the free-trade
system, and quoted the late Mr. Huskisson in support of
his notion that free trade will never do for a country sad-
dled with eight hundred millions of debt. He declared his
fixed resolution to maintain Church and State in all its
integrity, and also the constitution of his native land.
The show of hands being three to one in favour of Mr:
Armstrong, a poll was demanded on behalf of Mr. Stanley.
The polling took place on Thursday, after which it was
announced that Mr. Armstrong was returned by a ma-
jority of sixteen, the numbers being, for Mr. Armstrong,
636; the Hon. E. H. Stanley, 620. The contest was
close throughout the day, and the town was in a very ex-
cited state. Mr. Armstrong was formerly recorder of
Leeds. The polling commenced with uncommon activity,
and the happy result was that at nine o'clock, Mr. Stanley
headed his radical opponent by 25, and at ten, by no
fewer than 68. No one expected that this could be main-
tained, seeing that at the last contest the Rads won by a
majority of upwards of a hundred. Accordingly, during
the next hour, the country votes being pretty well polled
out, the Radicals reduced our majority, and got a small
advantage for themselves. At the conclusion of the next
hour, Mr. Stanley got ahead, but at one o'clock he fell
behind by four. As the constituency was pretty well ex-
hausted, the polling after this grew languid, votes dropping
in one or two at a time, the two parties running each
other neck and neck all the afternoon. A closer thing
was never witnessed, and so close was it, that during the
last hour, no mortal man could dare to say how the fight
would end. The result was, that the party who last sum-
mer triumphed by a hundred and three, now declared
themselves victorious by just sixteen votes. The triumph
is, however, likely to be short one; for the Lancaster
Gazette, of Saturday, says,—" The poll-book has been
examined, and the result is that Mr. Stanley has a clear
majority of ten overhis opponent. The news has diffused
much joy. The Radicals are looking exceedingly queer,
whilst the smiling faces of the Conservatives testify to the
pleasure they feel in the prospect of having their arduous
services at last rewardea by victory."