The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-30 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—Permit me to offer one or two observations in reply
to a letter contained in your last publication, and purporting
to have been written by `• A Lover of Fairplay."
Your correspondent speaks in a tone of utter contempt of
the few subscribers who are opposed to the retention of the
brass tire-guard in the Lyceum Newsroom ; denounces the
objectors as a " set of old gentlemen ;" is particularly un-
ceremonious in his treatment of one of their number, whom
lie consistently represents as " quietly sleeping" all day be-
fore the fire, and yet as disturbing the subscribers by his
" eructations ;" and appears, in short, judging from his
letter, to have arrived at the very comfortable conclusion
that he is " to have all his own way" in reference to the sub-
ject lie writes on. Now, will your correspondent patiently
submit to be informed by me why I do not think his expects •
tions, in this respect, at all likely to be realized?
In the first place, the parties who have objected to the fire-
guard are not, as your correspondent would insinuate, few in
number ; and an inspection of our petition, now lying for
signature at the rooms, will at once convince him that the
names of those subscribing it (including those of Mr. Isaac
' Holmes, the Rev. E. Spencer, and a host of others of equal
respectability) cannot fail to carry considerable weight with
them. If our opponents be really numerous and influential,
as is asserted, why do they not, without delay, originate a
counter petition, and invite the attention of the committee
to its prayer ? The reason, I think, must be obvious to the
understanding of every one—they are conscious of their in-
ability to procure an adequate number of signatures. The
paucity of their numbers is attested by the tact, that while
the local press, on all sides, has been literally assailed with
communications demanding the removal of the fire-guard,
they have been compelled to content themselves with thii
puny protest, and the tardily advanced arguments preferred
by your correspondent in your paper of Tuesday last.
Your insertion of these observations in your next publica-
tion will greatly oblige, sir, your obedient servant,
A LOVER OF TRUTH.

P.S.—The assertion that " nine-tenths of the subscribers"
are in favour of the guards, will at once appear so palpably
incorrect to any one acquainted with the actual circumstances
of the case, that I shall not do more than simply contradict
it here.
December 29th, 1842.

A SHREWD REPLY.—Sir Walter Scott says that the
alleged origin of the invention of cards produced one of the
shrewdest replies he bad ever heard given in evidence. It
was made by the late Dr. Gregory, at Edinburgh, to a coun-
sel of great eminence at the Scottish bar. The doctor's
testimony went to prove the insanity of the party whose
mental capacity was the point at issue. On a crow interro-
gation, he admitted that the person in question played
admirably at whist. " And do you seriously say, doctor,
said the learned counsel, " that a person having a superior
capacity for a game so difficult, and which requires, in a pre-
eminent degree, memory, jmdgment, and combination, can
be at the same time deranged in his understanding ?" 4' I
am no card player," said the doctor, with great address,
" but I have read in history that cards were invented for the
amusement of an insane king." The consequences
of tnis
reply were decisive.
DONE FOR."—A wag, a few years since, procured sonic
eye-wash of a quack oculist in this city, to be app
lied
glass-eye which he wore. The oculist, not being very sharp-
sighted, discovered there was some defect in the eye, but
to a
thought it was so trifling that he warranted
a cure or no pay.
The wag took the wash and departed. Ina week or so after-
wardsan dy in
he returned with the empty phial,
great distress. "0, doctor, doctor !" said he "app rend stuff
has wholly destroyed my eve !" at the same time opening the
lids of the empty socket with his finger, to the horror of the
the eye tinker. knew my medicine to gasping oculist. "Is it possible? can it be possible." ex-
claimed
so before. Well, rey„
4, I never .ope-
ratedearsir, I can do nothing less than
return you your money. " But you must more, sir.
What is five dollars to
I will
coni pared with the loss of an eye ?"
f vbell will give me 200 dollars I will s'
replied the wag.
a pledge never to "j" ;:you ; hut if you do not,
.exilie and you are a ruined man." 'The
secute you forthwi. :
a
quack forked over
check for the amount, and the covey cut
his stick perhaps for Texas.—New York Sunday Mercury.

NEwsPArEn, REPORTERS.— What most extraordinary
men are tues e reporters of the English newspapers ! Surely,
if there he any class of individuals %ho are entitled to the
appellation of cosmopolites, it is these ; who pursue their
avocation in all countries indifferentl y ,jand accommodate them-
selves at will to the manners of all classes of society ; their
fluency of style as writers is only surpassed by their facility
of language in conversation, and their attainments in classical
and polite literature only by their profound knowledge of the
world, acquired by an early introduction into its bustling
scenes. The activity, energy, and courage which they oc-
casionally display in the pursuit of information are truly re-
markable. I saw them, during the three days at Paris,
mingled with canaille and gamins behind the barriers, whilst
the mitraille was flying in all directions, and the desperate
cuirassiers were dashing their fierce horses; against those
seemingly feeble bulwarks. There stood they, dotting down
their observations in their pocket-books as unconcernedly as
if reporting the proceedings of a reform meeting in Finsbury-
square ; whilst in Spain, several of them accompanied the
Carlist and Christino guerillas in some of their most desperate
raids, exposing themselves to the danger of hostile bullets,
the inclemency of winter, and the fierce heat of the summer
sun.—Borrow's Bible in Spain.

We find the substance of the following statements, rela-
tive to the origin of the commerce of Britain with foreign
countries, in a curious but somewhat verbose and prolix,
" Memoirs on the Revolutions of Commerce of the British
Isles, from its commencement to the invasion of the Ro.-

mans, by M. Melot : read before the French Royal Academy
of Inscriptions, in 1743."
It appears, from Strabo, that the Phenicians first esta-
blished commerce with the British Isles. This writer gives
us the following details of this commerce. The Phenicians
brought to this country earthenware, salt, all sorts of iron
and copper utensils, and received in exchange skins, leather,
and tin. Elsewhere he tells us, that these isles were fertile