The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-22 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

The royal :•ud numbers nearly one bun :red Lanes and
ponies.

There are now living in the vicinity of Horsham, in Sussex,
three acting magistrates, whose united age is 269 years—
Robert Hurst, Esq., 92 ; Sir Timothy 'Shelley, Bart. 88 ;
and J. M. Commeral, Esq., 88.

A-BRIDGING A TOLL.—A party of " navies," being at
work on one side of the Thames, and lodging on the other,
hit upon an ingenious plan for reducing the bridge-toll. They
deputed one of their party to inquire of the collector how
much weight a man was allowed to carry, and whether any
sort of weight was allowed. The collector answered " Carry
what you choose, and as much as you can." They took him
at his word, and assembling the whole force on the bridge,
they divided the party into two sections, and one carried two
through the gate, more to the merriment of the lookers on,
than to the amusement or profit of the collector.
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND SIR H. PEEL.—It
is true that the Duke of Wellington and Sir R. Peel were
slightly hissed (as stated in the Morning Chronicle, topied
from the Sun of last night) on going to the house last even-
ing, but the cheers greatly preponderated ; and it may be as
well to observe, that a number of persons are placed every
evening opposite to the House of Commons, for the express
purpose of hissing the noble duke and the right lion. bart.
From what we have heard, there is but little doubt these fel-
lows are paid by the Anti-Corn-Law League for their ser-
vices, but we shall make further inquiry into the subject.—
Standard of Wednesday.
It is stated in a contemporary journal, on the authority of
a correspondent, that " a very great majority of the farmers
at market on Satnrday expressed much dissatisfaction at the
proposed alteration in the corn-laws." We have not, cer-
tainly, had an opportunity of consulting " a great majority"
of the farmers attending Colchester market ; but we have
every reason to believe, that though on some points of the
new scale there are differences of opinion, yet the majority
of the agriculturists regard the Government plan as the
largest measure of protection they could expect at the pre-
sent time ; and they are more than ever disposed to be thank-
ful that we have a Conservative Ministry.—Essex Standard.
ESCAPE FROM PERIL.—About ten days ago, Mr. Wil-
liamson, the well-known and highly respectable huntsman to
the Duke of 131Mcleugh, had very nearly met the fate of
Actwon, in the kennel near Dalkeith Palace. Mr. William-
son had gone into the kennel with a whip in his hand, but
without the red hunting coat, when a dog, who had been re-
cently added to the pack, approached him, with a threaten-
ing growl, upon which Mr. W. gave the animal a smart rap
over the nose with his whip. The dog instantly fastened on
his arm, and directly the whole kennel flew at their master.
Fortunately two of the keepers, who were at hand, came to
the rescue, and whipped off the dogs. Mr. Williamson was
considerably lacerated, but we are glad to learn is in no
danger, as his wounds are rrpidly healing.—Edinburgh
Mercury.

AN AMERICAN ACCIDENT.—A. private letter details an
accident at the town of Jackson, Louisiana, which appals
one's very soul. It is one of the most curious as well as
heart-rending we have ever heard of. A dray, loaded with
several kegs of powder, was being discharged, when, by the
carelessness (some say drunkenness) of the drayman, -one of
them was suffered to fall. A scissor-grinder was near; busy
in his avocation, and his rapid wheel emitting a shower of
sparks. These fell upon the spilled powder, blew up. the
men, scissor-grinder, horse and dray, and killed four negroes
belonging to Mr. Seth Parker. The shock was felt all over
the town, and many windows were broken. One leg of the
drayman and his hat were found several hundred yards off.
The mangled remains of the scissor-grinder were collected
and decently buried. His wheel, it appears, had been sent
about sixty yards, and lodged on the balcony of a neighbour-
ing house. When will people learn to be careful with
powder ?—Crescent.

SPLIT IN THE ENEMY'S CAM r.—We give an extraordi-
nary letter from the notorious Father M`Donnel, late of Bir-
mingham. This ecclesiastic shakes off from him, with indig-
nation, every semblance of respect for the authorities of his
church. He holds up Doctor Wiseman to public derision
and contempt, and represents him as governed in his conduct
by " pecuniary considerations." He complains that he was
removed from his station because he has interfered with po-
litics ; whereas, he was, in fact, placed there for the very ex-
press purpose of such interference ! That is to say—to be a
firebrand in Birmingham. He hints that Doctor Wiseman's
connection with the Puseyites may have produced hostility
to himself as one known to sympathise with dissenters. He
states that he was the principal cause of the extinction of the
church-rate in Birmingham, so that it appears that the op-
position of such men as Thorogood, on the plea of " consci-
ence," is merely the result of jesuitical influence. He winds
up the letter by an expression of profound veneration for Mr.
O'Connell, that great champion of cajolery, in the hope that
he may thus obtain for himself the protection of that indivi-
dual, but he never miscalculated more foully. Mr. O'Con-
nell will protect no one who has become obnoxious to the
powers of his church. The letter is a treat in its way. We
would strongly recommend Mr. O'Donnell to let the griev-
ances he has to complain of induce him to examine into the
grounds on which the authority of his church is built.—Dub-
lin Morning Press.

AFFECTING CATASTROPRE.—A young couple, having
had the misfortune to lose their first-born child by a most
lamentable accident (the nurse had, whilst asleep, over-lain
and suffocated the poor little innocent), took every precaution
on the birth of a second infant to hire a nurse upon whom
they thought they could place reliance, and whom they took
care to watch very closely. It is needless to say that, amongst
a hundred other instructions she was repeatedly cautioned,
and in fact solemnly promised, never to let her tender charge
sleep in the same bed as herself. But Providence had
ordained otherwise ! One evening when the nurse, exhausted
by fatigue, was falling to sleep on her ',chair, the parents of
the child advised her to go and lie upon her own bed, without
taking off her clothes, in order, by a few hours' sleep,, to
recruit her wasted energies, and to fortify herself for the
next night's watching. The nurse took their advice, but by
an inexplicable fatality, and by an unjustifiable infraction of
the strict injunctions which had been laid upon her, and
which she had hitherto rigidly obeyed, the wretched woman
laid the infant by her side, and during her slumber, overlaid
and suffocated the tender being ! About 2 o'clock in the
morning, the nurse awoke, and her horror may be easily
imagined ! Petrified at what she had done, she went up
stairs to her master and mistress, in a state of desperation,
and presented to the unfortunate couple the lifeless corpse of
their only child ! In the first agony of their grief, the sor-
row-stricken parents had the nurse arrested, and taken before
the Tribunal of Correctional Police, On the accusation of
" homicide" (query, infanticide ?) "through imprudence."
Eventually, however, the parents, seeing that the nurse was
already sufficiently punished—to judge at least by the ocean
of tears which she shed—withdrew their accusation ; but
upon the demand of the Avocat de Roi, the Tribunal senten-
ced the nurse to a fine of 25E—Gazette des Tribunaux.
ANNIVERSARY OF A FRIENDLY SOCIETY AMONG WA-
TERMEN.—It affords gratification to every philanthropic
mind to see any class of British subjects rising in the scale
of religion and morals, and consequently becoming more
respected and respectable. The efforts which have been
made during the last few years to instruct the men employed
on our rivers and canals have been accompanied with most
encouraging success, so that we hope the name of a barge-
man or boatman will, ere long, cease to carry with it op-
probrinin. These remarks were called forth by reading in
the Manchester Courier an account of the anniversary " of
the Mersey and Irwell Flatmen's Friendly Society," held at
Runcorn last week. On this interesting occasion more than
400 persons, including watermen, their wives, and friends,
sat down to a substantial tea, with plenty of good roast
beet, &c., in a room belonging to the Old Quay Company.
The treasurer of the society, Mr. Edward Atherton Lingard,
the founder of its prosperity, read the annual report, from
which it appeared that after every demand on the funds had
been honourably discharged, there was a balance in hand of
£468 18s. being an increase during the year of no less
than £lO2 is. Id. The rules of this excellent institution
(whose meetings are held in a school), embrace all the be-
nefits of a temperance society, a society for checking profane
cursing and swearing, and for promoting the observance of.
the Sabbath, as well as relieving one another in times of
sickness, calamity, and distress. The assembly was ad-
dressed by the treasurer and several clergymen of the vicinity,
who inculcated upon their hearers with much force and elo-
quence the importance of faithfully discharging the duties
of their allotted station in accordance with the sound princi-
ples and precepts of the Bible, a book which is held in the
highest possible veneration by these honest watermen. The
evening was marked by kindness and brotherly love, the
whole concluding with the national anthem and an appro-
priate prayer offered by the clergyman of the district for the
continuance of the Divine blessing on the society. A more
truly pleasant as well as profitable meeting, seems scarcely
to have been held. The clergyman recently nominated to
the new church at Weston Point, on the river Weaver, was
present, and gave a most encouraging statement of the com-
mencement of his labours among the men employed on that
navigation. He remarked " that it had bee*.,declared by
some persons that the promoters of the Wea,ver churches
had endeavoured to thrust religion on the watermen, who
were careless about the matter; this he deniedf was evi-
dent that no consideration would induce them'and their
families to give up their religious privileges. It'llad been
said that if churches were built, watermen would not attend :
this was disproved by the fact that the church was well filled
last Sunday, and he had no doubt it will soon be fciinid too
small for its object." The watermen, he observed, had been
long neglected, and he found that out of 65 children only 5
could read the Bible; but the parents were civil, attentive,
and teachable, exciting every hope as to their improvement
in religious knowledge, marked by correspondent practice."
We rejoice to hear of this result, and shall hail the day
when every navigation throughout the kingdom shall lid
closed from twelve o'clock on Saturday night till twelve
o'clock on Sunday night, thus affording to every bargeman..
and boatman the opportunity of attending public worship,
and enjoying the other privileges of the day of sacred rest.
We are informed that about 180 boatmen, besides 50 women
and children, were counted on Sunday week on our river and
canal, left without any religious instruction. It is stated
that there is a subscription set on foot by a clergyman of this
city for the purchase of a vessel' to be 'set apurt_fair- fifiblie -
worship, that these poor neglected wanderers might be in-
vited to the fold of the good Shepherd. We can only say
that we feel assured that our readers would be most happy
to see such a vessel afloat.—Worcester Journal.
TUE ANTI-CORN LAW AGITATION.—The following re-
marks of Mr. Serjeant Talfoured, the late Liberal M. P. for
Reading, upon the question of the corn laws, in addressing,
a jury at the last Stafford Spring Assizes, upon an indict-
talent against the proprietor and publisher of the Stafford-
shire Examiner, for publishing " a certain false and malicious
libel" against Viscount Ingestrie and others (in which Lord
Ingestrie was denounced as " the man starving Ingestria,"
and as "a man who assisted in Parliament to cry down Mr.
Villiers, and those who tried to plead for more food for the
starving artisans of Bilston,") are peculiarly applicable at the
present time, and especially to the proceedings and threats of
the Anti-Corn Law League, to whose attentive perusal we
recommend this admirable and caustic reproof from one of
their own political friends. Speaking of the corn laws the
learned Serjeant said,—" Of all the questions which liberal
and wise men can approach with reference to the result which
may be the best for the prosperity of their country, there is
none as to which there is less excuse for the use of inflam-
matory language. It is one to be judged of with reference
to the great interests of the country—the great conimercial
and agricultural interests ; it is a question of political economy
upon which different opinions are prevalent, and it is not a'
question upon which it is just to call upon the manufacturing
people to become the particular parties in the cause, and to
appeal to their passions, rejudices, and calamities against
any one party. I may add' that of all the acts of delusion or
excitement, there is none which, in my judgment, is baser
than that which takes the inevitable sufferings and calamities'
of human life—those sufferings and privations which must be
tile lot of mankind in this world—those calamities of labour
and suffering which no form of society can exempt man from,
and which must appeal with pity to every feeling and consi-
derate heart,—l say, I can see no baser act of delusion than
that which takes those inevitable calamities, and plays upon
them, by representing that they do not arise from the lawn,
of nature or inevitable circumstances, but they arise from a
wicked disposition to grind, to oppress, to injure, and to
starve, as I am afraid you will be obliged to find is imputed
by this article. And sure 1 am, that if confusion follow,
none have more reason to rue it than those to whom such
observations are addressed. It is well said by an admirable
countryman of one of my learned friends (Mr. Phillips), and
whose life my learned friend illustrated by his excellent work
—it was well said by that eminent man (Curran), that ' tu-
mults and sedition had made many a rich man poor, but they
had never yet made a poor man rich.' And you may depend
upon it, that those persons to whom the exciting observations
are addressed are the last who will derive any benefit from
the advice which is given to them."