The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-24 00:00:00

turday, the 7th instant, the brig Scotia, Captain Mearns,
belonging to Montrose, from that port for St. Petersburg,
in ballast, was jammed by the floating ice off the island of
Nervo, and soon afterwards went down. The crew and part
of the brig's stores were saved. Two days afterwards the
Joseph Storey, Captain Spencer, from London, and the Cas-
pian, from Newcastle, both for St. Petersburg, also got
jammed by the ice, and sank between the islands of Leskar
and Biorko. Several of the stores, and a small portion of
the cargo, consisting of indigo, of the Joseph Storey, and
the crews of both vessels, were fortunately saved. The three
nnfortunate ships—viz., the Scotia, Joseph Storey, and Cas-
pian, were partially insured.

On Monday evening an awful instance of the uncertainty
of this life occurred at the Montpelier Tavern, Walworth.

There had been a large chartist meeting in the afternoon,
with a tea party and ball for the friends of the delegates in
the evening. Mrs. Brown, the wife of the president, had
been busily engaged attending at the tea table, and was in
the highest spirits. After tea she went to dress herself for
the ball, remarking to the servant that she " would see her
different from what she was then the next time she saw her."

She returned to the ball-room apparently in the best of
health, when she suddenly said, " Good God ! I am very
giddy. Let me see my husband." She then sank in a chair,

and never spoke afterwards, having expired almost imme
diately.

COUNTERACTION OF INFIDELITY.—On Friday morning a
meeting was held in London to receive from Mr. Brindley a
report of proceedings with respect to the attempted sup-
pression of socialism. The auditory was very numerous.
After Mr. Brindley had detailed the rise, progress, and down-
fall of socialism, and unfolded his plan of operations for the
future, the Lord Bishop of Chester remarked that if he had
not been an enemy to socialism as a Christian minister, he
certainly should be so as a man and a philanthropist. He
very much rejoiced in the course Mr. Brindley had decided
on adopting ; he was in the possession of great powers, and
had applied them to the most noble purpose. There were few
infidels whe knew the evidences on which Christianity rested,
and therefore he was glad that so many opportunities had
been afforded them by Mr. Brindley for making themselves
fully acquainted with these points. The Bishop of Norwich
also spoke in similar terms.
IMPORTANT INVENTION.—A French gentleman, Dr.
Payerne, has just made a discovery likely to be of great use
in submarine experiments and purposes. He proved on Fri-
day morning that he can descend and remain under water for
any length of time without communication with atmospheric
air. He descended, in the presence of several scientific men,
in the diving-bell of the Polytechnic Institution, at 9 o'clock,
and remained there for three hours, when he ascended, hav-
ing no appearance of inconvenience. His process is, of
course, a reproduction of the gases necessary to support life
and also combustion, as was proved by his taking with him
some candles, which he kept burning whilst below ; and he
intends applying it to salvage and submarine purposes, for
examining dock-gates, foundations of bridges, ships' bot-
toms, &c., as soon as his patent is sealed.—London Times.
"Bottled Ale," like many other of the good things of this

world, owes its invention to a priest. Dian Newell, Master
of Westminster School in the reign of Queen Mary, was a
noted angler. One day, when the Dean was catching fishes,
Bishop Bonner was laying his lines to catch Newell. News
came to the angler of the danger in which he stood, and he
transferred himself from the banks of the Thames to a ship
on its bosom, and was transferred to a place of safety. When
the days of persecution were ended, he returned home, and
renewed his recreations as an angler. He then remembered
that he had left behind him, on the day of his flight, the pro-
visions which he had brought to the river-side for the suste-

nance of his inner man ; and on examining the hole in the
bank which he had converted into a cupboard, he found the
victuals untouched. Among other things, there was some
ale, which he had put into a bottle ; and on drawing the
cork, he was surprised to hear a loud report, and to find that
the liquor was extra excellent. This (says Fuller) is be-
lieved to be the origin of " bottled ale" in England.

SINGULAR RECOVERY OF A. LOST SNUFF-BOX:A short
time since, a snuff-box was missed from off a table on the
lawn of one of the masters at Eton College, during his tem-
porary absence, and no tidings were heard of it until a few
days ago, when it was discovered in the following curious
manner :—The rope communicating with the bell in the tower
of Eton College Chapel not working so freely as usual, Mr.
Gray, the clerk, was about to ascend the narrow stone stair-
case to ascertain the cause, when he found the stairs com-
pletely blocked up by a large quantity of twigs, chips, pieces
of wood, and other materials of a similar character, (some
two feet in length,) extending throughout the whole width
of the staircase, and from the bottom step of the landing to
the top of the flight, consisting of no less than 14 stairs.
Upon a closer examination, be discovered that the depositing,
in this position, of the whole of these twigs and chips, was
the persevering labour of two jackdaws, who had thus con-
structed their enormous nest upon the stairs. Amongst the
variety of articles with which the jackdaws had constructed
their habitation (which must have been conveyed through a
loop-hole in the tower, the only opening, not more than four
or five inches wide) was discovered the identical snuff-box,
uninjured, which had been lost a few days before, and which
must have been " walked off" with by the industrious and
not over-scrupulous daws. Extraordinary as it may appear,
the twigs, &c., of which the nest was constructed, could not
have weighed less than three quarters of a hundred. The
tower has since been visited by the Reverends the Provost,
the Vice-Provost, Dr. Hawtrey, several others of the autho-
rities of the college, and parties residing in the neighbour-
hood ; but the old birds, no doubt in consequence of the nest
having been disturbed, deserted their skilfully and extraor-
dinarily constructed retreat two days after the discovery had
been made. They have since been seen hovering around the
tower, but without again venturing to take possession of the
fruits of their persevering labours.—Morning Herald.

PO9ll. LAWS IN SooTIANn.—A considerable number of
individuals belonging to Glasgow, impressed with a deep
sense of the misery and destitution of the poor of that city
and neighbourhood, and with the inadequacy of the means
provided by law for an effective management of the Scottish
poor generally, presented a requisition to the Lord Provost,
requesting him to call a meeting of the citizens, to consider
the propriety of memorialising, her majesty's government on
the subject, and praying for such revision and adaptation of
the poor laws, to the altered circumstances of the country,
as may seem necessary. The Lord Provost having called the
meeting, it was held on Wednesday in the town-hall, and his
lordship was called to the chair. Dr. Perry, in an able
speech, showed the absolute necessity of an alteration in the
law, so as to enable the poor to claim with effect that which
was their right—a subsistence when they had not the means
of earning it by their own labour. He moved a resolution to
the effect that, destitution was prevailing to a fearful extent
in the city and suburbs, and in various other districts ; and
that it was too deeply rooted to be removed by the effects of
private benevolence. This was seconded by James A. An-
derson, Esq., supported by the Rev. Dr. Burns, of Paisley,
and agreed to.—Professor Wm. Thomson moved the second
resolution, to the effect that, in some parts of Scotland, the
operation of the poor-law was illusory, in other parts not
acted on at all, while the poor were gathered to those places
where a provision was made for paupers. He strongly urged
the necessity of altering the law, so as to secure a better pro-
vision for the poor.—Seconded by Mr. N. Stevenson, and
agreed to.—Mr. Bennet gave a variety of statistical details
connected with the college parish ; after which Dr. Willis
moved the third resolution, in favour of a civil instead of an
ecclesiastical management of the poor, and complained very
strongly of the inefficiency of the present system. This hav-
been seconded by Mr. N. Stevenson, and carried, a memorial
to government was agreed to.—Glasgow Argus.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE CLYDE.—We have the melan-
choly duty of announcing the occurrence of an accident on
the river, which resulted in the death of two persons, one of
them a gentleman well known and highly respected in this
city, viz., Mr. Robert Henderson, of the eminent firm of
Messrs. R. and J. Henderson, of London and Glasgow. At
four o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Robert Henderson,
his brother Mr. John Henderson, and the Rev. Dr. King, '
proceeded from the Broomielaw, in the Windsor Castle
steam-boat, with the view of landing at Mr. Henderson's
country seat of Park. Arriving opposite Park Quay, they,
along with a female servant of Mr. Henderson's, were put
into a small boat, and almost immediately after having pushed
off from the Windsor Castle, another steamer, the Shandon,
was observed coming up the river towards them, when INIr.
Robert Henderson exclaimed, " We shall be run down," and
a collision soon followed, in consequence of which
the small
boat was instantly submerged, and all on board (five in num-
ber, including the boatman) were left struggling in the water.
The Shandon was immediately stopped, and every assistance
was given by both steamers. Three of the party were res-
cued, viz., Mr. J. Henderson, the Rev. Dr. King, and the
boatman. Mr. R. Henderson was picked up at the same
time as Dr. King, but was insensible when taken out, and
every attempt to restore animation proved abortive., .The
body of the servant has not been found.—Glasgow Courier.

THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON "siEWS.—This is a weekly
news Ooffthme week
Paper which made its first appearance on Saturday week, pre-
senting quite a new character among public journals. Its
Principal feature is its rich embellishments of wood-cuts in
4 erY best style of the art, thus conveying graphically the
tresses of date
by the cut of tul!
sub-
jects
flamb I The Queen's Masque furnishes the sub-
urghs.ny splendid illustrations ; the conflagration of
pudiated, but consistency Versailles Railway catastrophe ; the for-
and Ghuznee, all are brought before the eye
not very distine engraver. The politics of this journal do
.aPPear; party name is disavowed and re-
pledge. As a
sample
is promised—a somewhat difficult
give the following. Pleof the humour of the paper, we may
lollypop, with his tray Under a sketch of an elderly dealer in
this mock advertisement 7-" spice slung to his neck, appears
Bank ! Wanted a partner in Capital Spec ! Safe as the
with an airy and pleasant cola a snug, genteel little concern,
dnsely crowded thoro . _ corner situation, in one of the most
I ughtares in
ac good ready money business, vi' the metropolis, and doing
increase of capital would considerablyitut much risk ; which an
exceed the outlay, and the Sunday e extend. The returns
rent. The taxes are redeemed, and 'ltherestoro alone covers the
term of the lease, which is held at al „ is along unexpired
lollypop
into a half share, including plant anti stock ' The coming
trifle above £OOOO. Any person who canlerY moderate,
saY a
above sum, will not only find this a decided bargain, the
desirable opportunity of commencing business, a'nlalut a
very
worthy the attention of an industrious person of small well
means
References exchanged. Address,
and less &mill',pre-paid,
to B. 8., (Brandy Ball,) Pieman's Alley."