The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

ought to

tach to the opinions of such an im-
ortant community, but it might be the means of
inducing other public bodies to follow the example.
There can be no doubt that the removal of the
Earl of ABERDEEN from the Ministry would be
hailed throughout the country as an omen of bet-
ter times, and the demand for his retirement should
emanate from the people of Liverpool—the most
intelligent constituency in the Empire.

THE MEETING OF THE BRITISH

ASSOCIATION

WITH the single exception of the news from the

Black Sea, which has lately created more than
ordinary excitement, owing to the expected assault
on the fortress of Sevastopol, the political world

appears to have recently sunk into the Lethe of
inanimate dulness. The London papers have no-
thing to communicate or to write about, and even
a railway accident is eagerly seized upon as some-
thing to break the wearisome monotony of quietude
which so generally prevails. Amidst the general
stillness, however, Liverpool is an exception, and
the northern capital was, perhaps, never fuller nor
more actively engaged. The ceremonial of the
opening of St. George's Hall, last week, brought
many thousands to listen to the exquisite music
provided for the occasion, and view the gorgeous
apartment, which, for size and beauty, is almost
without a rival ; and hardly had the sweet strains
which filled the hall been hushed into silence,
when a new :subject for excitement, and one of
more lasting:interest, was found in the meeting of
the British Association for the Advancement of
Science, which has not yet concluded ; so that, while
distant contemporaries are languishing for lack of
nawc, nor polnums ATP filled fn overflow, and so
abundant are topics of interest, that their exu-
berance becomes oppressive. Amidst the vast
profusion, it is in vain to attempt any more than
a brief allusion to the majority of subjects which
have been brought before the various meetings
held during the week, but it may not be out of
place to call particular attention to those which
have an especial local interest. In the statistical
section, on Thursday, Mr. H. Asnwonni read anela-
borately prepared paper on the late Preston Strike,
detailing the causes and consequences at great
length. He showed that the alleged grievance of
a lower rate of wages was utterly groundless, and
that the strike could never have been entered into, but
for the ignorance of the great majority of the opera-
tives who became the easy dupes of their designing
leaders. The result was an actual loss to masters
and men of more than halCa million sterling ; and
the latter, so far from gaining any advantage from
their long protracted sufferings, were at length
compelled to return to work at a less rate of wages
than that which they turned out to increase. The
discussion which followed did not throw much ad-
ditional light on the subject, but the publication of
the facts may operate beneficially as a warning to
this class of people not to throw away the advan-
tages they enjoy,lfor an object impossible of attain-

In the section of Mathematical and Physical
science, on Thursday, Sir JOHN Ross, whose name
is well known in connection with Arctic explora-
tions, read a paper on the " Deviation of the Mag-
netic Needle, peculiar to Liverpool." In remarking
on the planof swinging ships in the Mersey, in order
to adjust their compasses, he advised a persistence
in the practice, although he stated the locality was
ineligible, owing to the masses of iron deposited in
various parts on each shore ; but he recommended
that the results should be verified by beacons to
be placed on the sandhills of Rockland, due north
and south, as well as on the magnetic meridian.
The subject was again brought before the same
section on Saturday, and was followed by an inter-
esting discussion, from which, no doubt, much
practical benefit will be experienced.—ln the
section of Geography and Ethnology, an inter-
esting paper by A. G. FINDLAY, ESQ., on Arctic
and Antartic Currents, in connection with the ex-
pedition of Sir John Franklin, was read on Friday.
The writer gave various reasons for believing that
the two ships alleged to have been seen floating on
the ice at the north edge of Newfoundland, in April
1851, by the Renovation, were the missing ships of
Sir John Franklin, and he combatted the various ob-
jections to this opinion. In the subsequent discus-
sion, the Rev. Dr. SCORESBY concurred in the views
of the writer, but Admiral BEECHEY was of a con-
trary opinion. As to the probabilities of the missing
party being yet alive, the writer of the paper was
of opinion that hopes might still be entertained of
them. These papers, however, form but a small
portion of the many subjects of interest which have
been brought under discussion, and from which it
may be hoped more practical good will be elicited
than from the idle speculations on impracticable
theories which have too often been dignified with
the name of science.

KINGSFORD v. BALL.— In this important chancery
suit, five of the seven lots of valuable property on Holt-
hill were sold.on Tuesday, at the Woodside Hotel, after a
spirited competition, under the hammer of Messrs.
Hodgson.

MR. GEORGE Meiwru, JUN., of Abercromby-square,
was drowned on Thursday last, while fishing in one of the
rivers on his father's estate of Glenlee, in Upper Galloway.
He was about entering as a partner into the firm of
W. A. and G. Maxwell and Co., of this town.
The BAIIIAXA, South American Mail Steam Naviga-
tion screw-steamer, Captain Green, sailed on Sunday
hence for the Brazils and River Plate, calling at Lisbon,
Pernambuco, Madeira, and Rio de Janerio. She has
about ninety passengers, a large mail, and a conside-
rable cargo of fine goods on board. This is the second
departure under the new contract system. The com-
pany's new steam-ship Imperador, Captain James Brown,
will take out the mails on the 2tth October. The
Brazileira, with dates from Rio Janeiro to the Bth instant,
may be looked for early next month.

EVT,OPEA.N AND AMERICAN TELEGRAPII COMPANY.—
On Wednesday an adjourned extraordinary meeting of
this company was held at the London Tavern. The
meeting had been convened to consider and ratify a pro-
visional agreement for the complete and entire union of
this company with the British Teltgraph Company. The
subject had been discussed, and it was resolved that the
British Company should become the purchasers of the
entire property of the European and American Telegraph
Company for the sum of £130,000, on certain conditions.
It was therefore resolved that the directors be authorised
to carry out the agreement.
BANKRUPTCY COURT, YESTERDAY.—Re Mellor and
Eason. Yesterday, before Mr. Commissioner Perry,
Thomas Mellor and Samuel Eason, late merchants in this
town, came up ou their last examination. Mr. Lowndes,
of the firm of Lowndes, Robinson, and Bateson, appeared
for the bankrupts, and Mr. Simon, barrister, instructed
by Mr. Haigh, appeared to oppose on behalf of the pe-
titioning creditor. Mr. Mellor was examined at great
length by Mr. Simon, who elicited from him that he
commenced buisiness with a capital of £l,OOO in cash,
and £3,000 in railway shares, his partner having no
capital. He disposed of the railway shares as he wanted
money, but being disposed of in this way they only
realised ;£5OO altogether. His personal and household
expenses froth 184 to 1849, he calculated, were about
£9,000. Ultimately the case was adjourned for further
hearing to Wednesday, the 11th of October.

LAUNCH OF THE ATISTIIA.LIAN STEAMSHIP PACIFIC.—
On Saturday, a fine paddle-wheel steamer, named the
Pacific by Miss Savage, was launched by Messrs. Scott,
Russell, and Co., of Millwall, under circumstances of
great interest, from her being entirely owned by a colonial
company, who expect that she will prove one of the
fastest vessels afloat. Her dimensions are :—length over
all 270 feet, ditto between perpendiculars 250 feet, breadth
32 feet, depth 24 feet, tonnage 1,200 tons. The engines are
oscillating, of 450 horse-power nominaLworking up to more
than 1,00 effective horse-power. There are four indepen-
dent boilers, and the ship is propelled by feathering paddle-
wheels of enormous strength. It is expected that she will
realize a speed of at least sixteen miles an hour at sea,
under steam, without the aid of her sails. She has two
large decks for passengers, and a saloon more elegantly
decorated and finished than anysimilar one in this country.
The Pacific has been built for a few enterprizing persons
in Sydney and Melbourne, who, at the suggestion of
Capt. W. C. Thompson, have formed themselves into a
company called the Sydney and Melbourne Steam-packet
Company. This company have already purchased four
fine steamers to run between the above ports and Adelaide,
and they empowered Captain Thompson to build this
splendid steamer. The Pacific will proceed to Australia
under steam and sail. She will have accommodation for
100 first class passengers, and 300 second class, besides
several hundred tons of cargo. The launch was highly
successful, and was witnessed by a large number of people.
She is to be commanded by Captain W. C. Thompson,
formerly of the Sarah Sands.