The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-11 00:00:00

LOCAL NEWS

We must not allow so striking a proof of thu popularity of
Sir Robert Peel's government, as the uncontested return of
a conservative member for the town of Liverpool, to pass
without particular notice. Sir Howard Douglas ye,terday
walked over the course—a most valuable addition to the con-
servative force in parliament.—London Standard of Tuesday.
DISTRIBUTION OF Soup.—Quantity of soup distributed at
each soup-house :—Pickop-street, from 19th January to 7th
February, 40,937 quarts ; Flint-street, from 22nd Decemtier
to 7th February, 66,397 quarts; Gill-street, from 22nd De-
cember to 7th February, 59,301 quarts.
NEMESIS AND PHLEGETIION IRON WAR STEAMERS.—
The iron steamers have been of the greatest use, and com-
manded as they are by gallant enterprising men, they have
been doubly so. Captain Hall is the hero of every battle,
and for hard work and constant wear and tear, he deserves
something from our government.—Bombay Times, Ist Janu-
ary, 1842.

BUILDING SOCIETIES.—We direct the attention of our
readers to the prospectus in our advertisements of the Royal
William Building Society. We understand that the gentle-
men forming the society are practically acquainted with the
necessary details, and, from their well-known spirit and ha-
bits of business, the society bids fair, under their manage-
ment, to become equal to the best of these now numerous
and valuable institutions.

THEATRE-ROYAL.—The new pantomime attracted a bum-
per house last evening. From the lateness of the hour at
which it concluded, we can only find space to say, that it is
got up not merely in a style unusual in the provinces, but has
never been surpassed in the metropolis, whether for the
beauty of the scenery, costliness of the dresses, variety and
ingenuity of the tricks and transformations, or the talent of
the performers. It will doubtless have a capital run. It re-
flects great credit on Mr. W. J. Hammond, under whose di-
rection it has been produced. One scene, that of the palace
of King Guinea, is strikingly novel. It was hailed with the
most uproarious shouts of applause. The portraits of our
beloved queen, her royal consort, and interesting family are
cleverly and appropriately introduced. The audience testified,
by frequent demonstrations of delight, their approval of this
scene. The last scene is truly magnificent. The pantomime
has not been equalled since the run of the celebrated Mother
Goose.

NEW CONSERVATIVE NEWSPAPER.—We yesterday re-
ceived the first number of a daily Conservative Newspaper
just commenced in Dublin, and entitled the Dublin Morn-
ing Press. Until this new competitor started the metropo-
lis of Ireland had not a daily Protestant journal, though
there are two Roman Catholic daily papers published there.
In the prospectus it is announced that the Dublin Morning
Press will advocate the highest style of Protestant politics.
Its conductors conceive Protestant Ascendancy to be an ob-
ject inseparable from the desires of a Christian Patriot.
Carried to the length which Scripture warrants—regulated
by the principle which Scripture lays down, it would render
Ireland, indeed,
" Great, glorious, and free."

The lecture to be delivered this evening, by T. W. Ren-
wick, Esq., surgeon, is the third, in a course of four lectures
on physical education, now being delivered at the Literary,
Scientific, and Commercial Institution, St. Anne-street.
The two preceding lectures gave unbounded satisfaction to
the audience, which testified its feelings of delight by frequent
bursts of applause. Nor is this to'he wondered at, when it
is evident to every one who gives Mr. Renwick a hearing,
that he is completely master of his subject, has a happy com-
mand of language, seems to possess an unexhaustible fund
of anecdote, by which he gives the most pointed and happy
illustrations of his subject, and by which he keeps his hearers
in perfect good humour. We do not remember to have list-
ened to lectures more completely combining the elements of
instruction and entertainment ; and we must say that they
miss a rich intellectual treat who neglect, or who have not
an opportunity, to hear these deeply interesting lectures, on
the now all-absorbing subject of education.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—On the evening of Saturday last,
about half-past eight o'clock, a daring and atrocious highway
robbery took place in Edge-lane, about two hundred yards
from Mr. Jackson's ropery. Mr. Simpson, an elderly gentle-
man, who lives at the Old Swan, was returning home, ac-
companied by Mr. Robert Nelson, of Edge-hill, when they
were attacked near the spot in question, which is very lonely,
by three men. One of the villains knocked down Mr. Simp-
son by a terrific blow on the head, tore away his left-hand
breeches pocket, robbed him, and then rolled him into the
ditch. Mr. Nelson, a powerful and athletic man, would,
probably, have been a match for the other two robbers had it
not been for the assistance of a large white bull dog in their
service, which fastened its teeth in his thigh, while the villains
rifled his pockets. After plundering their victims of all the
money which they could find on their persons, which fortu-
nately was not much, the robbers decamped, threatening,
however, to return, and blow out the brains of the parties if
they gave the least alarm. On the same evening, but at a
later hour, a labouring man, residing at the Old Swan, was
knocked down near Whalley's nursery, but he recovered his
legs and ran away. His assailants, there is little doubt, were
the same gang of desperadoes.

CONSERVATIVE BON MOT.—After Sir Howard Douglas
had been declared duly elected; a large number of his friends
adjourned to the mayor's room to witness the ceremony of
appending the corporate seal to the official document declar-
ing his return. The town-clerk then good-humouredly pro-
posed, that the corporation cellar should be opened, and the
gallant general's health drunk by the gentlemen present. All
seemed to relish the proposal ' • but, after some delay, it was
announced that the keeper of the wine cellar could not be
found. Some of the party were for moving off with the pro-
cession, others were for remaining until the key could be ob-
tained. After some delay, when it seemed likely that no
wine could be procured, and several gentlemen were impa-
tient to depart, Mr. S. Holme caused much merriment by
exclaiming,—" Never mind, Mr. Town-clerk, we don't need
to be anxious about wine when we have such abundance of
good spirits." At length the wine was forthcoming, and
the gallant general's health was drank by all present in the
best of spirits.
THE TIMBER TRADE.—The circular issued by Messrs,
Duncan and Ewing, timber merchants, of this town, con-
tains observations on the suggested alteration in the timber
duties, which proposes to favour the importation of that ma-
terial from the north of Europe, at the expense of the colo-
nial trade. They represent such a measure as fraught with
danger, and deem it highly impolitic to hazard the injury of
so important a branch of trade as that with the North Ame-
rican colonies, for a doubtful prospect of increased gain by
establishing a trade with foreign nations. The present trade
in timber with our North American colonies is stated to have
employed in this port during last year, 175,000 tons, a pro-
portion equal to one-sixth of the whole en: aged in foreign
and colonial commerce entering that port ; and since foreign
timber is almost exclusively brought here in foreign bottoms,
the interests of our shipowners, shown to be involved to so
important an extent, will also suffer by the increase of
foreign trade, and that nearly in the same proportion as the
displacement of colonial by Baltic timber, They then allude
to the opinions which some have industriously circulated,
setting forth the immense inferiority of colonial fir timber
compared with the European, and show that each has useful
properties which are not shared by the other; that although
European timber is stronger and more durable than colonial
(red pine excepted), and accordingly obtains higher prices,
yet there are many purposes for which it is unfitted, and
where colonial common yellow pine is used in preference, -
and many to which the latter is equally adapted. They ob-
serve, that an increase of duty on colonial timber is at
variance with the acknowledged principle of encouraging the
importation of raw material, tends to oppress the poor
classes, to whose wants it is more especially applicable, as
being cheaper. At the same time they are not opposed to a
reduction of duty on foreign timber, but rather recommend
it tending to reduce the price to the consumer. After ad-
verting to the general distressed state of the whole trading
community, they add, that the timber trade is of course
involved in the same difficulties, though perhaps they are
less serious than those of others.
THE COTTON TRADE.—The annual circulars issued by
merchants and brokers respecting the state of trade are most
useful, not only as giving opinions on the present position
and future prospects of business, but also in regard to the
statistical information they communicate. Collmann and
Stolterfoht, of this town, in their circular which has just made
its appearance, in speaking of the decrease of home consump-
tion in the cotton trade, allege it to be vastly overrated, and,
instead of the large amount of 83,000,0001 b., estimate it at no
more than 23,000,0001 b., giving a calculation to show that

the latter amount is nearer the mark. They agree with most
other statements relative to prospects ; they are not sanguine
as to a great increase in business, seeing that the losses ex-
perienced on produce and merchandise during the past year
have involved no less an estimated sum than £100,000,000
sterling. But they look with some confidence to a healthier
state of things, though they believe that the improvement
will be slow, subject to many checks, and requiring great
prudence on the part of merchants. They estimate the im-
port of American cotton to have fallen short of that of the
preceding year by about 430,000 bags, while the large stock
previously on band carried the supply to within 200,000 bags
of what it was in 1840, the largest ever known, it exceeding
that in the large crop year by 160,000 bags. Of long stapled
cotton, Brazil, West India, and Egyptian, the excess of im-
port was 50,000 bags, and the East Indies sent 50,000 bags
more. The total supply, therefore, including the previous
stocks, fell short of the unexampled supply of the year 1840
by only 80,000 bags. The deliveries of American cotton
showed a decrease of about 220,000 bags, whilst those of East
India have increased by about 30,000 bags, and those of other
descriptions have remained nearly stationary ; the total de-
liveries were 1,936,000 bags.
The following letter from a minister of the Gospel, sent
unsolicited, proves the value of Sydenham's Pills; indeed,
comment is unnecessary :

" Sep.ls,lB3B:—Sir:—l am not in the habit of recommend-

ing patent medicines, yet I cannot withhold my testimony in
favour of Dr. Syclenharn's .Anlibilious Pills, prepared and
sold by you. My wife and myself being frequently afflicted
with billions complaints, have had recourse to this valuable
medicine for many years, and never take it without finding
almost immediate relief. I never travel without it ; it is so
safe, so mild, and yet so efficient in its operation, that I think
it ought to be known and possessed by every one who feels
the importance of keeping the stomach in a proper state ;
this part of the system is like the main spring of a watch, if
that be out of order the whole machine must be deranged.

I have often recommended these Pills with success in my
own circle, and if you think my testimony will promote their
circulation, you are at liberty to make it as public as you
please. Wishing you an increasing demand for this valuable
remedy,—l am, sir, yours, &c.,
" THOMAS JACKSON, Brixton-place, Surrey,
" Minister of Stockwell Chapel, and
" Supply at the Tabernacle, Bristol.
" To Mr. Rees, College-green, Bristol."