The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-02 00:00:00

PRESTON GUILD.

Now that the tranquillity of the town and of the surround-
ing districts is perfectly restored, with every probability of
its continuance, a great deal of interest is taken throughout
the county at the approaChing Guild Merchant Festival, the
celebration of which only occurs once in 20 years. The guild
of Preston is unique, there being no resemblance to a similar
institution in any other part of the kingdom, whilst the me-
morials remaining in the archives of the corporation trace
its first celebration to 1329, in the second year of the reign
of Edward 111.. since which period it has been held every
20 years with scarcely any intermission. The " Guild Mer-
chant" is held on the Monday after the feast of the Decol-
lation of St. John the Baptist, and is always duly announced
by advertisement in the London Gazette. The celebration
has, at former periods, attracted a very large attendance of
the surrounding nobility and gentry, and on the last occasion,
in 1822, was attended by the late Earl and Countess of Der-
by, the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, Lord and Lady
Skelmersdale, Mr. Justice Park, and many other distinguished
visitors. Political excitement and agitation now being over,
the present meeting is likely to be no less interesting
and attractive, and amongst others who have put down their
names as patrons, and many of whom have taken houses for
the occasion, *re the High Sheriff. the Duke of Hamilton
the Earls of Balcarras and Sefton, Lord. Francis Egerton,
M.P., Lord Stanley, M.P., Viscount Lindsay, Lord Skel-
mersdale, Lord Sandon, M.P., Sir P, H. Fleetwood, Bart.,
M.P., Sir Howard Douglas, M.P., the Hon. R. B, Wilbra-
ham, M.P., Sir George Strickland, M.P. Sir Benjamin
Heywood, Bart., Sir John Gerrard, Bart., Sir T. B. Birch,
Bart., Sir Thomas de Trafford, Bart., Sir R. H. Leigh, Bart.,
Lieut-General Sir Thomas Whitehead, Sir George Drink-
water, Sir Thomas Brancker, P. Ainsworth, Esq., M.P. J. I.
Blackburne, Esq., M.P., W. Fielden, Esq., M.P., J.W.
Patten, Esq., M.P., C. Standish, Esq., M.P., G. Marton,
Esq., M.P., and most of the leading gentry in the County,
many of whom have expressed their intention of keeping open
house on the occasion. In the list of patron's stands the name
of Sir Robert Peel, whose presence, which was expected,
will only be prevented by the pressure of 'official business.
Everything has been done by the corporation, in whose
hands the management of the affairs of the guild is vested, to
keep up the interest which for many centuries it has excited
in this and the neighbouring counties.
On Monday morning the business of the Guild Court will
be transacted, the old and venerable guild books will be
opened, and the legal business will be transacted. For the
evening a grand display of fireworks is announced. On the
Tuesday there will be a grand procession of the guild, the
mayor.,
.corporation, guild officers, and companies of trades
and societies, to the parish church, where a sermon will be
preached by the vicar, who is also chaplain to the guild, and
church service will be performed by several efficient vocalists.
These bodies, which will be arranged by the marshalmen,
are very numerous, consisting of Ist, tanners, skinners, cur-
riers, and glovers ; 2d, cotton-spinners and weavers; 3d, cord-
wainers ; 4th carpenters ; sth, butchers ; 6th, vintners ; 7th,
tailors; Bth, plasterers • 9th, Smiths; 10th, gardeners; 11th,
lodge of odd fellows ; 12th, printers and bookbinders ; 13th,
lodge of freemasons. In the evening of this day there will
be a grand concert of vocal and instrumental music. On the
same day there will be a bazaar at St. Ignatius' Schools, in
the North-road, for the benefit of the Roman Catholic Col-
lege, near Leicester, at which the Earl of Shrewsbury with
his family, Lord Clifford, and several of the leading Roman
Catholic families in this county, have signified their intention
to be present. On Wednesday morning the mayoress's pro.
cession, with ladies, to the parish church will take place,
when there will be performed Handel's sacred oratorio of
Messiah. The leading singers engaged for the occasion are
Miss Birch, Miss Stott, and Miss Maria Hawes, Mr. Hobbs.
and Mr. Phillips, in addition to which, the orchestra,
selected principally from Birmingham, Liverpool, and
Manchester, will consist of 42 performers, and the chorus
of 66 voices. This has always been an occasion of particular
interest, and at the last meeting the mayoress was followed
by the Countess of Derby, Countess of Wilton, Lady
Hoghton, Miss Hoghton, the Misses Stanley, daughters
of Lord Stanley, and a retinue of at least six hundred ladies
of the first distinction. On this evening there will be a grand
dress ball. On Thursday morning the mayoress will give a
grand public breakfast, after which both races and regatta
are announced. A grand performance of sacred music will
likewise take place at the Catholic chapel of St. Wilfred,
comprising a selection from the Stabat Mater of Rossini, in
which Signor Rubini, as well as Negri and Puzzi, and Mdlle.
Pacini and Mdlle. Osterguard will take a part. In the even-
ing there will be a grand concert at which the above will
attend. Friday morning will commence with races, after
which the scholars of the various public, national, and Sun-
day schools wil be regaled with entertainments; and in the
evening there will be a grand costume ball, to provide for
which several of the caterers for such amusements from
London are present. The whole of the proceeds of the
musical entertainments and the balls will after defraying the
expenses, be applied for the benefit of the public charities of
the town.
A very large influx of strangers is anticipated during the
ensuing week, and demands for accommodation have increased
accordingly. Next to the visit of her Majesty to Scotland,
this will prove the most exciting occasion to the haat monde
in this part of the country in the ensuing week.

A grand fete will, it is understood, be given at Ravens-
worth Castle, early in October, in honour of the coming of
age of H. Liddell, Esq.
The Duke of Cambridge visited the coal-mines of Durham
on Wednesday last, and inspected the various operations of
the colliers and their machinery.
It is rumoured at Aylesbury that Captain Harrtilton,
is about to take up a three years' residence in British India.
If true, this will create a vacancy in the election for the bo-
rough.
REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF FLOUR.—The Sheffield
poor-law guardians have contracted for a supply of three
hundred sacks of bread flour, containing in all 5,400 stones,
at two shillings per stone.
The notorious Vidocq, whose memoirs excited so great an
interest some few years ago, and who has for some time past
been employed in recovering debts, &c., has been arrested,
with one of his clerks named Gouffe, for illegally confining
an individual and compulsorily obliging him to execute certain
6iestperEc'itzE,
deeds.
s th.T:rNeldvnwshloTY OF LONDON.—FIRST EXAMINATION FOR
Ovvritilrh.Bis.—brol‘tihrerH,
by the senaOtebtoafintihnegomberr.t Dawson Harling, of
B. A. 1-larling, lately
the first honours of his college, has again distinguished
himself by
universitythe exhibition
in an
aatnodmgyo
andld mpe
hdaylsi
oa
lvvoagryd.ed
The Earl of Lincoln, as First Commissioner of Woods
and Forests,
laehasiu:amet conceded an important boon to the
Wales—namely,
freeholders of v
by having, on the advice of
the law officers of the crown,assizreeduNceedfeteheefatmhoisuhnitedofisthin
future to exceed 4d. Formerly 63the
, ~ment
acquittance fee on rents of
feiess
now weret demandedo
serve for
the on
63 arrears of rent ; but one pay
whole.

CONTINUED FALL IN PRICES. —DUBLIN, Aug. 28.
There was
. _
supply of
but of cattle, sheep,
wasl7ep, and pigs at
he fair of a
little or no
Drogheda
rgoen
demand, even at greatly reduced rates,
w
the
" the ciiiraeotiunts from the English markets."l owing, it is said, to
Drog-
heda Argus says, " Large numbers of yowlz bullocks were
The
'exhibited, and offered from 25 to 30 per cent,
prices of this day twelve months ; but even at thisunder the
reduction
they were in little demand, owing it is stated to the operation
of the Tariff." The Ardee fair, on Monday, was fully a
siad
bad
as that of Drogheda. The Drgyheda Argus says, "It was
the dullest we ever recollect this season. The Tariff mer
sure and the English riots were considered as the cause. Be
it what it may, nearly all the stock on the green left it
unsold."