The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-04 00:00:00

LOCAL NEWS.

ALTCAR SCHOOLS, etc.—We have learned, with great plea-
sure, that the Earl of Sefton has recently built two excellent
schools at Altcar, to be used as Sunday and day schools, and
that his lordship has also, unasked, assisted the parishioners
to repair and improve their church.

Her Majesty's packet Medusa picked up the crew of the
Adelphi, a Welsh sloop, laden with slates from Beaumaris,
which foundered in sight of the Medusa, during her passage
to Dublin.

CONVEYANCE OF THE M mi.s.—The estimates for the
contract packet service amount, for the years 1842-3, to
£421,929, being an increase of 4:188,Z.;90 over those of the
previous year. This arises chiefly from the contract for the
conveyance of mails to the West Indies, which is taken' at
£240,000. There is an addition also of £20,000 for the con-
veyance of mails by steam froth' Liverpool to Halifax and
Boston and Quebec ;.the.total amount for thatbeing.£Bo,ooo.
The following are the other principal contracts :—For con-
veying the mails from London to Rotterdam and Hamburg,
£17,000 ; to Gibraltar and the intermediate places, £29,600;
Alexandria, £34,000 ; and from Liverpool to Kingston, Ire-
land, £9,000.

FIGHTING TAILORS.—On Tuesday last, at the Police-
court, Samuel Barnett and Michael Hannan, two respectable
looking young men, were called, and they presented them-
selves before the bench. They had been out on bail.—The
police-officer on duty in Oldhall-street stated, that on the
preceding day he found the prisoners fighting in Oldhall-
street.—Mr. Rushton : What are you ?—Barnett and Han-
nan : We are tailors, sir.—Mr. Rushton : Oh ! I know : a
number of you tailors have been lighting for twelve months
past.—Barnett : It was a private quarrel, sir, which we
thought we would settle amicably, sir, by fighting it out, when
the officer interrupted us. All differences amongst us are
now settled, sir, and if you will look over this, we shall never
fight any more.—Mr. Rushton : I have had great trouble
with you men, and now Dam determined to put a stop to
these disgraceful proceedings. The public are not to be an-
noyed by your absurd quarrels. You must each pay a fine
of '4os and costs, or he imprisoned one month ; and the next
time you so offend I will make you find bail.
SINGULAR OCCURRENCE AT A bENTLEMAN'S HOUSE IN
RODNEY-STREET.—WhiIe the family were sitting at dinner,
on Sunday evening, they were suddenly greatly alarmed at
seeing a large volume of fire bursting into the room, and im-
mediately afterwards they perceived a large bird flapping its
wings in the midst of the flames. It appears that a pigeon
must, by some accident, have got into the top of the chimney,
and, in its passage down to the grate. collected a great quan-
tity of soot, which suddenly igniting (for there was a good fire
burning at the time), caused an explosion, and forced a large
column of fire into the room, which extended nearly to the
table. It was very fortunate no one was sitting on that side,
or serious consequences might have ensued. The lady of the
house had herself a most providential escape ; for, not feel-
ing quite well, she left her seat, and stood for some time be-
fore the fire. and she had scarcely returned one minute to the
table before the accident happened. It is frightful to con-
template the awful situation she would have been in, enve-
loped in such a body of flames, without the slightest warning.
The family were obliged to leave the room directly, and every
thing on the table was completely spoiled. The poor bird
was alive when taken out of the grate, but every particle of
its feathers was burnt off. The reflection of the flame was
seen by the servants who were sitting in the kitchen below,
the window shutter not being closed.
THE LONG LOST (PRESIDENT.—It is supposed, form
the following extract from the log book of the brig Poul-
try,
Capt. James Moult, of Baltimore, that the hull of this
long lost steamer has at last been seen. ''July 21, 11 a.m.,
•1at.40 'tl N., long. 39 17 W., from New York for Smyrna,
passed a large piece of wreck, sixty feet long, thirty or forty
wide, and looked like the broadside of a steam-boat. It ap-
peared to be part of the main-channels, having four dead
eyes, with turned mouldings, and long flat iron straps. Her
hull was black, with a broad wide streak, and large painted
black ports. There was a bight of a hawser over a piece of
wood, apparently part of the guards." The ill-fated Presi-
dent was seen both here and in Liverpool by the chief mate
of the Poultney, and he unhesitatingly says that the wreck
passed was part of that steam-ship. Every thing about the
wrek plainly showed, from their great size and manufacture,
that they belonged not to any merchant vessel or man-of-war,
but to a large steamer. We think as the mate does on this
point, and believe the wreck seen to have been that of the
unfortunate, ill-starred President.—Nerv. York Herald, Feb.
81/..—[lt.will -be seen from.,onr"lJ.nited States intelligence
that the stern boat and some other things belonging to this
ill-fated vessel have been picked up.]
ST. DAVID'S DAY.—The loyal inhabitants of the princi-
pality celebrated the anniversary of their patron saint with
their usual enthusiasm. The proceedings were commenced
by a sermon at St. David's Church, on Sunday last, by the
Rev. John Jones, M.A., of St. Andrew's Church, for the
benefit of the Welch schools in this town. On Tuesday,
early in the mbrning, the interesting subjects of the charity
and their parents showed the value they had of the advan-
tages of a scriptural education, by congregating at the doors
of the different school-roorts to witness the proceedings.
At a quarter before eleven, the directors and friends of the
schools, accompanied by the members of the Ancient Britons'
Friendly Society, with their handsome flags, and some highly
respectable members of the Cambrian Friendly Society, and
the St. David's Friendly Society, went in procession, with
the children of the schools, to St. David's Church. We
were greatly delighted with the cleanly and orderly be-
haviour of the children, which reflected great credit on the.
superintendents, the visiters, and instructors of the schools.
The services in church were wholly in the Ancient British
language; the prayers were read in a distinct and impressive
manner by the Rev. Robert Davies, M.A., the minister of
St. David's Church, and a most excellent, energetic, and
valuable sermon was delivered by the Reverend Henry Jones,
M.A., vicar of Northop, Flintshire, who took for his text,
Luke 13th chapter, Gth, 7th, Bth, and 9th verses. The sub-
ject was the parable of the fruitless fig tree, which the Rev.
gentleman ably and impressively applied to the object of the
day's proceedings. After the . service, the directors, their
friends, and the subscribers to the schools, returned in pro-
cession with the children to the large. school-room, when an
examination of the scholars took place, which was conducted
by the Rev. Robert Davies. The satisfaction derived from
the acquirements of the children was very marked. James
Aspinall, Esq., the president for the year, occupied the chair.
At the close of the examination, Thomas Jones, one of the
senior boys, delivered an appropriate speech, expressive of
the gratitude of the children for the benefits they derived
from a scriptural education. After the business of the day
was concluded, the directors and friends of the charity par-
took of a cold collation, to which they were admitted by
ticket. The arrangements were under the superintendence
of Mr. Edwards, of the Wellington-rooms, and were con-
ducted with very great taste. During the refreshments,
several loyal and appropriate toasts were given ; and when the
toast of the day, " Albert, Prince of Wales," was given, a
select number of the girls of the school were introduced, who
sung an appropriate hymn. , Several interesting speeches
were delivered, and after spending a most agreeable after-
the company separated, highly gratified with the whole
proceedings of the day.