The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-04 00:00:00

merce of the country

" I regret that I am not able to 'announce to you the re-
establishment of peaceful relations with the government of

China.

" The uniform success which has attended the hostile
operations directed against that Power ; and my confidence
in the skill and gallantry of my Naval and Military Forces,
encourage the hope on my part that our differences with the
Government of China will be brought to an early termina-
tion, and our commercial relations with that country placed
on a satisfactory basis.

" Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
" The estimates for the year have been prepared, and will
be laid before you.

" I rely, with entire confidence, on your disposition, while
you enforce the principles of a wise economy, to make that
provision for the service of the country which the public ex-

igences require

" My Lords and Gentlemen,

" I recommend to your immediate attention the state of
the Finances and of the Expenditure of the country.
" You will have seen with regret that, for-several years
past, the annual Income has been inadequate to bear the
public charges ; and I feel confident that, fully sensible of
the evil which must result from a continued deficiency of
this nature during peace, you will carefully consider the best
means of averting it.

" I recommend also to to your consideration the state of
the laws which affect the importation of corn and of other
articles, the produce of foreign countries.
" Measures will be submitted for your consideration for
the amendment of Law of Bankruptcy, and for the improve-
ment of the jurisdiction exercised by the Ecclesiastical Courts
in England and Wales.

" It will also be desirable that you should consider, with a
view to their revision, the laws which regulate the registra-
tion of electors of members to serve in Parliament.

" I have observed with deep regret the continued distress
in the manufacturing districts of the country. The suffer-
ings and privations which have resulted from it have been
borne with exemplary patience and fortitude.
" I feel assured that your deliberations on the various
important matters which will occupy your attention, will be
directed by a comprehensive regard for the interests and
permanent welfare of all classes of my subjects, and I fer-
vently pray that they may tend in their result to improve
the national resources, and to encourage the industry and
promote the happiness of my people."
At the conclusion of the Speech her Majesty withdrew
from the House, and retired amidst the cheers of the as-
sembled thousands to Buckingham Palace.

REFUSING TO TAKE AN OATH.-At the Police-office yes-
terday, in a case of minor importance, the evidence of a
Custom-house officer, named Edward Barnes, was required
by the court. He refused to be sworn, and was asked by
Mr. Rushton if he were a Quaker or a Moravian. He
replied that he did not consider he was bound to answer the
question. Mr. R. explained to him that unless he belonged
to one or other of those persuasions he could not be legally
exonerated from taking an oath. Barnes said, " I fear my
God, and will take no oath, though 1 will not the less tell the
truth. The taking of oaths was only enjoined by man."
Mr. Rushton said that if his evidence were required for the
ends of justice, and declined to state legitimate reasons, he
must take an oath, otherwise he should commit him to pri-
son: The other evidence was then gone into, and was found
sufficient for the conviction of the prisoner. Mr. R. then
told Barnes that he ought to inform his superiors of his scru-
ples, as his evidence might be required in important cases
affecting the revenue service, and if he remained in the same
mind, evidence from such a person could not be received.

COMMITMENT.—A young man, named James Dogberty,
was yesterday brought before the stipendiary magistrate,
charged with having defrauded his master of a sum of money.
James Rawsthorn said he was a miller and baker. His mill
was in Shaw's-brow, and his shop and bake-house in Lime-
kiln-lane. The prisoner was employed by him as a baker,
and also attended his horse. About a week ago he received
information relative to the horse—which he found to be in-
sufficiently bedded—that led him to suspect the prisoner of
malpractices. On Wednesday evening he gave him I6d. in
copper to purchase a stone of hay at 10d., and a stone of
straw at Gd. On the prisoner's return he questioned him as
to the quantity he had bought, and from whom. He said be
had bought a stone of each from Mr. Myers, who was a
neighbour. Witness (who had previously made enquiry of
Mr. Myers) said that was not the fact. It was afterwards
proved that the prisoner had bottght only half a stone of
each from Mr. Mawdesley, Bevington-bush, and that he had
bought an inferior hay, at 9d. per stone. He was committed
for trial.

THE " FASTING " MAN.—Previous to Cavanagh's depar-
ture from this town (Reading) on Monday to appear at the
Queen's Bench, this worthy was allowed an unlimited quantity
of food ; on which occasion he proved that his appetite is at
least as prodigious as his much-boasted " fasting powers ;
and on his arrival in London he made another meal, which
would have astonished any of the credulous believers in his
" total abstinence from mortal food."—Berkshire Chronicle.

A TURKISH MILITARY EXECUTION.—The five prisoners
were arranged in a line, with their faces to the sea, and their
backs to their armed copanions, who then retired some thirty
paces. "they are going to shoot the nen !" I said. My
companion exclaimed that such must be impossible—five
soldiers only brought forward to execute the same number
of people ! In another moment my surmise had beenverified;
a volley was discharged, but only one of the men fell. I can-
not dwell upon the scene ; it was the most barbarous ever my
lot to witness. The muskets were loaded and reloaded
several times, and full ten minutes elapsed before an end
wss put to the sufferings of the victims ; whilst the matter
was coolly regarded by a number of spectators who had col-
lected behind the neighbouring wall.—Hunter's Expedition
to Syria.

Since the opening of the Great North of England Railway
from York to Darlington, there has been, according to the
Carlisle Journal, nearly two.thirds less posting on the western
road than formerly.
PREPARATION FOR DEATH.—The convict Delahunt, who
is to be executed to-morrow. at Dublin, amused himself
during part of last Saturday with making mouse-traps and
catching mice ! This fact is mentioned in a letter from a
gentleman who saw him in the prison upon that day. Can
the convict be in a sound state of mind ?

EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAILWAY. —This great
national work is now fast drawing to completion. It is in-
tended to open the line on the 18th February next, for a
trial trip. On Monday. the 21st, it is proposed to open it
for the public ; and immediately thereafter a general meeting
takes place, at which the question of a Sunday train will
probably be decided.—Glasgow Herald.
It is estimated that the liabilities of the Tweed Bank will
fall little short of £300.000, and that the assets will realise
about seven or eight shillings in the pound.
ALARMING DISCOVERY.—It has been recently discovered
in Paris, that the soldiers have been selling to the members
of secret societies the cartridges intrusted to them for
military purposes.

From the analysis in Clarke and Lewis's newspaper, list,
it appears that there are 191 Conservative, 241 Radical, and
109 neutral papers in the United Kingdom.
TENACITY OF LIFE IN A HEN.—Some time ago a hen,
belonging to an individual in Perth, became missing, and
was given up for lost. A few days ago she was found alive,
closely packed up among a great quantity of straw in an out-
house upon the premises, where it had remained for four
weeks and a day. The hen was reduced to a skeleton, and
her tail came almost asunder. How the creature lived in
this state of confinement, it is difficult to understand ; not-
withstanding it is gradually gaining strength, and is likely
yet to do well.

RESIGNATION OF TIIE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.-It was
generally rumoured yesterday, in political circles, that the
Duke of Buckingham had ceased to be connected with the
administration. It will probably suggest itself to many of
our readers, that the retirement of his grace from office may
be attributed, in some degree, to the contemplated altera-
tions in the corn-laws, to the present system of which his
grace is warmly attached ; but on this point it will not be
possible to pronounce positively, until the measures to be
brought forward in the ensuing session are disclosed. That
there exists no want of cordiality or sympathy between the
Duke of Buckingham and the members of her majesty's go-
vernment, may be readily inferred from the circumstance,
that one of the two vacant ribands has been offered to, and
accepted by, his grace.—Times of Tuesday.

TRAM.: OF LEITH.—It is with great pleasure we learn that
the Customs' revenue of the port of Leith continues pro-
gressively on the increase. The annual return on the sth
current was £604,098, being an increase of about £2,000
over the preceding year. This sum would have been much
larger, from the great increase of the trade, had the duty on
grain not fallen so low as ls. ; while in 1840 the duty was not
lower than Gs. Bd., and at that sum a large quantity was
taken out of bond, for in one day £21,000 was paid, and the
greatest sum collected in one day, in 1841, was only £B,OOO
The number of vessels arrived with foreign
cargoes, in 1840, was .
Ditto, in 1841

. . . . 771
• • • • 930

Being an increase of • • • 159
The register tonnage of shipping belonging
to the ln 1241 port, in 1840, was
26
23,431
,423

—Edinburgh papßere.ing att increase of . . . 2,992