The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-10-17 00:00:00

ma. BEA.3xxxx-MOOSE, M.P., was one of the guests
at the Hinckford Agricultural and Conservative Club
dinner, given last week at Castle-Hedingham. In acknow-
ledging the toast of " Success to Agriculture, Manufacture,
and Commerce," he did not enter into politics further
than to show that the increase in our exports, since the
passing of the free-trade measure of Sir Robert Peel,
could be accounted for entirely by the increased demand
from those countries which shared the influence of the
discoveries of gold.
THE NEW STAMP AcT.—The•new stamp duties on bills
of exchange and promissory notes came into operation on
Thursday. Among other points of importance, the dis-
tinction of duties on bills and notes- not exceeding two
months, and those for longer dates, is abolished ; and all
bills and notes, whether for long or short dates, are
charged at one uniform rate of duty. The following is
the new scale --

Not exceeding 5
Exceeding 5 and not exceeding 10
111 Q.%

O s. d.
O 0 1
O 0 2
O 0 3
O 0 6
O 0 9
O 1 0
O 2 0
O 3 0
O 4 0
O 5 0
O 7 6
O 10 0
O 15 0
1 0 0
1.10 0
2 0 0
2 5 0

100
200
300
400
• 600
750
1,000
1,500
2,000
• 3,000
4,000 and upwards
TAB BIBLE SOCIETY.—The Bishop of Chester presided
at the annual meeting of the Liverpool Auxiliary to the
Bible Society, which was held at the Collegiate Institu-
tion, on Tuesday. After a few introductory remarks from
the chairman, the Rev. Frederick Parry, secretary, read
the report, enumerating the operations of the society since
its commencement, as well as during the past year. The
total number of bibles issued since the commencement of
the society, was stated to be 27,938,631. The total amount
received during the last year was £222,659 ss. 10d. The
Liverpool auxiliary branch had contributed, together with
the amount for the sale of books, £4,630118. 9d. during
the past year, being £1,862 6s. 411 more than the former
year. The number of copies distributed by the Liver-
pool auxiliary was 22,870 during the past year, being 2,001
more than in the year preceding. 491,000 copies had been
circulated by this auxiliary since its commencement. The
report proceeded to show, in general terms,, the great in-
crease of the society's operations, not only in Europe, but
also in Constantinople, where a jubilee meeting had been
held, presided over by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, and an
auxiliary formed at Constantinople. The total receipts for
the past year had been £1,959 19s. 7d.; and £3,178 had
been transmitted to London from the Liverpool branch,
and £766 4s. sd. from the Welsh branch. Speeches were
afterwards delivered by the Revs. W. M. Falloon, J. R.
Welsh, Robert Frost, MA., Josiah Pearson, James Mann,
&c. The usual vote of thanks to the bishop terminated
the proceedings.
MINSLAMUTER IN LIVERPOOL. On Tuesday and
Wednesday, an inquiry was held before P. F. Curry, Esq.,
borough coroner, and a jury, to investigate the circum-
stances attending the death of Thomas Riley, an Irish-
man, who died in the Northern Hospital on the preceding
Saturday. A young man named John Duffy was charged
with having assaulted Riley with a poker, and inflicted
on him the wounds which caused his death. The affair
arose out of a drunken riot, chiefly caused by the deceased,
who lived in Sawney Pope-street. On Sunday evening,
the 17th ult., the deceased and his wife, along with some
acquaintances, were drinking together at a beerhouse
kept by John Sullivan. They left this house shortly
after eight o'clock, the deceased and his wife going to
their residence, in a court in the neighbourhood. Riley,
who was intoxicated, soon went out again, and at the end
of the court was met by a man, named Alexander Swee-
ney, with whom he quarrelled. A scuffle ensued between
the two men, which resulted in Sweeney striking the de-
ceased a severe blow on the jaw. Both men were se-
parated, and at ten o'clock the deceased, taking along
with him a poker, which he concealed up his sleeve, went
again over to Sullivan's beer house, but finding the door
closed he knocked and asked for half a gallon of ale.
Upon Sullivan putting his head out at the door, deceased
drew the poker, and struck him a severe blow with it,
which felled him to the ground. The deceased then
crossed the street, and went up the entry where he lived,
taking the poker with him. Sullivan, upon recovering
from the effects of the blow, followed, and dragged the de-
ceased out of the entry. The latter was in the act of in-
flicting a second blow upon Sullivan, when the prisoner
came up, seized the poker, and struck the deceased. Ul-
timately the police came up, and Sullivan charged the de-
ceased with an assault, and he was taken to bridewell, and
afterwards to the Northern Hospital, where he died. Mr.
Wall, house surgeon to the Northern Hospital, said that
the deceased had sustained a compound fracture of the jaw,
from the effects of which he died. He did not think that
the fracture was produced by a blow from a poker, as
there would be a corresponding external wound, which
was not the case in the present instance. A blow from a
fist might produce it.—The jury, after deliberating a short
time, returned a verdict of " Manslaughter" against Alex-
ander Sweeney, the man who struck the deceased on the
jaw. The prisoner was discharged. •

ROYAL MAIL STEAM COMPANY.—The report shows a
surplus on the working account for the half-year ending
the 30th of June of £112,207, being equal to 122 per cent.
on the company's capital of £890,400. Out of this, how-
ever, allowance has to be made for depreciation. The
dividend proposed is the same as for the previous half-
year, namely, £2 per share, or at the rate of £6 13s. 4d.
per cent. per annum on the amount paid up. The dis-
bursements have been increased by the freight of coals,
&c. ; but, on the other hand, with one exception, there has
been an increase upon every head of receipt for freight and
passage money, while the amount received for the convey-
ance and victualling of troops has been £65,720. Reference
is made to the satisfactory speed attained by the Tamar,
the Atrato, the Solent, and La Plata, and anticipations are
expressed that the Tyne, now fitting at Blackwell, will
exhibit an equally good result. The fleet of the company
consists of 24 ships, and as they now only require 20 for
the contract service, they propose ultimately selling the
extra four. The half-yearly meeting was held on Thursday.
DOCK COMMITTEE.—The weekly meeting was held on
Thursday ; present :—Messrs. Turner (chairman), Rankin,
Shand, Robinson, Gladstone, Holden, Royden, Smith,
Steele, Rounthwaite, Gregson, Lockett, and Brocklebank.
A recommendation from the sub-committee of works to
accept the tender of Messrs. W. H. Daunt and Co., for a
quantity of Scotch pig iron, was confirmed. A report was
read from the committee of the marine department, show-
ing the services rendered by the life-boats. It appeared
from the report that on the 3rd inst. the Hoylake life-boat
went to the assistance of a schooner, on shore near Aber-
gelly, when it was ascertained that the crew had previously
landed. On the 4th inst. the same boat went to the
assistance of the ship John Routledge, lying on East
Hoyle, and took away and landed the crew. The Maga-
zines and the Liverpool life-boats also proceeded to the
assistance of the same vessel, and each took off about 50
men, women, and children, whom they transferred to a
steam-tug to be conveyed to Liverpool. The tender of
Messrs. J. Aspinall, and Co. for a double set of sails for the
new buoy schooner was accepted.—The dismissal of Peter
Anderson, a pier master at the Collingwood Dock, was
confirmed. Several recommendations for the appointment
of dock gatemen, consequent on Anderson's dismissal, were
confirmed. Mr. Gregson said that at the last meeting
Mr. Bigham made a statement that an officer had received
a bribe, and afterwards an information was laid against
some goods lying on the dock quay that were fineable.
Since then the Watch Committee had caused an inquiry
to be made, and the result of the matter was that the
Watch Committee came to the conclusion that there was
no foundation for the statement.—Mr. Gregson said that
during the last nine months there had been no fewer than
4,918 informations laid, showing that the police were not
very dilatory in laying them. The chairman intimated
that he had received an anonymous letter in reference to
the dismissals last week; it was not a letter he should
think of reading, but it was for the committee to say
whether they wished it to be read or not.—Mr. Robinson
thought they ought not to give countenance to anony-
mous letters. Mr. Smith and other members took a
similar view, and the letter was not read. This was the
whole of the general business.
TIIE STEM IN THE ARCTIC SEARCIL—The North Star
and Talbot were taken into the fitting basin on Tuesday
preparatory to being paid off. The North Star has brought
home the following officers, who went out from England
in her :—Commander Wm. J. S. Pullen, Mr. Thomas C.
Pullen, master; Mr. Wm. Shellabear, second master; and
Mr. Wm. Elliott, clerk in charge. The following super-
numeraries are brought home here by her, and sent on
board the flag-ship Waterloo, Commander S. Osborne, late
of Pioneer :—Commander Haswell, late of the Investi-
gator ; also Mr. Court, master ; Drs. Armstrong and
Piers ; Mr. Payne, paymaster ; Mr. Miertsching, the inter-
preter of the Esquimaux language; Lieuts. Pim and
Roach, of Resolute; also Mr. MPougall and Mr. Crabbe,
masters, and Mr. Scott, assistant-surgeon. The North
Star left England on the 21st of April, 1852. Her officers
and crew have suffered the privations of two winters of
three months each darkness, with the thermometer 56°
below zero, or 88° below the freezing point. mu have
been without a human being to associate with except their
own little company for a period of two years and a-half.
During the whole period, the officers and crew have ceased
to use the razor, merely scissors, cutting and trimming
their faces and heads, and there has not been one solitary
case of ulcerated or sore throat amongst them. Until
within a week the razor was only known by name in the
ship; and, strange to say, immediately their faces lost
their warm clothing, several found that the cold took
effect on their throats ; but the service compelled them to
appear at muster as per (present) admiralty order. Some
of the old tars have made their shrewd remarks to the
effect that if their lordships knew the comfort of a good
face and throat of hair, they would set more value on it
than the hair on their head. Many of them now stow
away a large portion of their throat-hair down over their
chests, and they say it is as warm as two shirts. This
portion, being neatly stowed away, does not interfere with.
the present admiralty regulations. Not a man or officer
has been lost from sickness. The duties of the clerk in
charge of this ship have been most onerous, he having had
to be up at all hours, supplying travelling parties with
provisions, who have, on many occasions, with their sledges
I and dogs, travelled 60 miles a day. Four very fine pups
have been brought home by the North Star ; they are not
more than ten weeks old. A few rare specimens of birds
and eggs also have been preserved and brought home.
The clerk in charge, being the senior officer of that rank
in the expedition, has been highly recommended for his
vpriooumsottoionb,einangdpiait
paid off,
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beentplyrormepooted to rtedtthhaet
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master.—The Talbot, Commander Robert Jenkins, has
brought home all the officers and crew who went out with
her. The following supernumeraries were taken on board
at Beechy Island :—Commander late of the Assistance ;
Lieut. May, ditto ; Lieut. Cheyne, ditto; Mr. Allard, late
master of the Pioneer ; Mr. Herbert, mate of the Assis-
tance ; and Mr. Pim, mate of ditto : Mr. Richards, assis-
tant-surgeon of Assistance; Mr. Toms, assistant-surgeon
of the Pioneer ; and Mr. Kerr, carpenter of Assistance ;
also 51 men, the crews of the Pioneer and Assistance.
The North Star brought home the crews of the Investi-
gator and the Phoenix, and the crews of the Resolute and
Enterprise.