The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-04 00:00:00

Mr, Leigh, the mayor of Liverpool, who is already reported
be the richest commoner in England, has, daring the last
,on of fortune under the will of
[nowhere at the south end of that
r We believe the lady here alluded
treet, who died

lorning Herdic
s Banister, of Upper

very recently

INTERMENT OF THE DEAII.-704 Wednesday week,' a
petition was presented to the House of Commons. by Mr.
A. Walker, on the subject of interments in large towns, and
praying the House to appoint a committee, for the purpose of
instituting a full, and searching inquiry, into the condition of
he burial plaCes of the United Kingdom. Such committee
has been appointed to sit on Wednesday. Mr Walker is well
known to have taken a long, and deep interest in, this sub-
ject, and to have written upon it several effective works,
some of which have appeaed in our columns. -

REFUSALS TO TARE AN OATIL—The practice of refusing
to be sworn in a court of justice is now becoming extremely
common, and reluctant witnesses appear to think that they
have nothing more to du than 'object to, take an oath, and
their difficulty is overcome. We are glad to see, however,
that these gentlemen do not always escape as they readily
appear to wish. On Tuesday, a witness at the police-court,
in this town, refused to be sworn, though be gave way after
an admonition from Mr. Rushton. Ile stated that he at-
tended the Mariners' Church, and that according to the in-
struction which he there received, he could not conscienti-
ously take an oath. This, we rpprehend, must be a mistake,
and we are rather inclined to the belief that the place of wor-
ship which the witness has been in the habit •of attending
will prove to be the Floating Chapel. At the Hertford as-
sizes at present holding, two witnesses were very summarily
committed to prison by Mr. Baron Gurney for refusing to be
sworn before the grand jury. They were unable to offer any
reason for their refusal, and the learned judge, therefore,
acted most judiciously in making an example of them.

FEMALE POLITICIANS.—A very proper Reproof to the
LADIES of the Anti-Corn Law League.—Two of these fair
and free traders received a very suitable reproof, upon hawk-
ing their petitions for signature, a few days back. The lady
of a house, in Windsor•street, upon being asked to sign
the petition, replied, " Will you step in, ladies, and wait un-
til I run up stairs." Upon returning down, with a pair of
breeches in each hand, she replied, " Perhaps, ladies, these
may be useful to you in your perambulations, and while you
are putting them on I will take into consideration the pro-
priety of signing the petition."
Sin HOWARD DOUGLAS.—The Edinburgh Standard,
'one of the leading Scottish papers, thus speaks of the address
of• Sir H. Douglas on Mr. Villiers's motion for a total repeal
of the corn-laws. Our contemporary only alludes to the
speeches on Thursday evening, the closing night of the de-
bate :—" The first speech of any importance was that of Sir
" Howard Douglas, the member for Liverpoot, who on this
" occasion proved himself not only possessed of great stores
" of knowledge, but to be well acquainted with the sort of
"speech which would tell in parliament. Sir Howard di-
" rected his thief attention to the doctrine of reciprocity,
"which he exposed with consummate ability. The corn-
" law repealers insist that other countries would follow our
"example in taking off restrictive or protective- duties, and
b' yet the fact stares them in the face, that although we admit
" American cotton, the Yankees almost exclude our mann-
" factured goods from their market. Sir Howard Douglas
" has proved himself a speaker of great tact and ability, and
" will prove a valuable addition to the conservative ranks."

•
FELONY.-At the Police-court yesterday, a man named
Charles Young, was brought to the bar, on a charge of steal-
ing a quantity of rope. William Barton, a police constable,
stated that about half-past seven o'clock on Wednesday
evening he was on duty in Kitchen-street, when he was in-
formed that three men were going suspiciously along the
street with ropes. He pursued them, and found a coil of
rope in Kitchen-street. He then went up a passage in that
street, and found the prisoner with three other coils. He
asked him where he was going, and he replied that he was
going home. He next inquired where he had got the coils,
and he said a man had given them to him to carry, hut on
being further questioned, he said he could not tell who the
man was. Yesterday morning witness discovered the owner.
Mr. Whitely, captain of the brig Cherub, lying in the
Queen's Dock, and one of the owners of that vessel, said
that on Wednesday afternoon he had the rope coiled up, and
placed in Mr. Russell's yard, bottom of Kitchen-street; and
that he saw it there about three o'clock same afternoon. The
prisoner said that a man had asked him to carry the coils for
him. He was committed for trial.

EXCELLENT MUSTARD.—This is an article which is rarely
met with in a state to give satisfactian. We have used that,
however, prepared by Messrs. Hope and .Wheeler, of this
town, and advertised in another column. The quality of
this is Most superior, and. after what we have beenitt the
habit of using, it is gratifying to meet with that which does
riot deceive the palate. The peculiar flavour of the genuine
Durham is preserved, whilst several objectionable features of
that powder are not met with here. We recommend all who
are anxious to try the pure unadulterated seed to make an
experiment of this.

HALIFAX STEAMERS.--TWO of the Halifax steam-ships
the Britannia and Caledonia, have been this week put into
the Queen's Graving Dock. We observe the vessels belong-
ing to this line undergo frequent inspection there, that no-
thing may be left undone that may contribute to safety.
Our nautical readers will be gratified by a look at the Cale-
donian's bottom, as she now lies dry. We understand that
not a shadow of straining or twisting is to be seen. It is
matter of considerable interest among shipbuilders and other
judges that these steamers, great as is their length, show
less straining than any other class of shipping that has done
hard work.

THEATRE ROYAL.—Mr. Thorburne, whose first appear-
ance at this theatre we noticed in our last, reappeared last
night as logo, to Mr. Brooke's 0/hello. His third per-
formance will be to-night, when his benefit will take place.
From the very promising appearance of the box sheet there
is no doubt that the house will be well and fashionably at-
tended. The play selected is " The Wife," in which Mr.
Thorburne peronates St. Pierre: we append the following ap-
posite remarkd from a contemporary, quite agreeing with hini :
Benefits were originally designed as opportunities for the
public to testify their appreciation of the merits of the can-
didates for their favour, and as Mr. Thorburne, like the
younger Vandenhoff, is a gentleman of respectability and
education, who has left one of the learned professions for
another were taste and learning are the chief requisites to
success, On the supposition that the British people are dis-
critninatiVe and generous,•and will not be slow to reward the
adventurer of talent and character. He is moreover a towns-
man, who is held in general eSteern by allto whom he is known,
and we-trust that on" this occasion he will be encouraged to
persevere in the arduous profession which he has adopted, and
stimulated toaimprovement. He has thrown physic to the
dogs, staked his life upon the cast, and we hope the hazard
of the die will be in his favour.
- -

EXAMINATION OF SHIPMASTERS.—A bill IS now before
parliament, under charge of Captain Fitzroy, MT. for Dur-
ham, which has for its object the examination of masters
and mates, and a certification by qualified persons of their
fitness for their duties before they are allowed to enter on
them. The business of examination is proposed to be done
by boards of exarninators, one of which boards will sit at the
following ports—London, Liverpool, Bristol, Newcastle,
Hull, Dublin, Leith, and Glasgow—and to consist of three,
.or (in London) four experienced seamen, who will be exami-
ners, a secretary (in London) and a clerk, or a clerk only ; of
which examiners aforesaid one shall have commanded a ves-
sel, or vessels in the merchant service, at least seven years,
and shall have been in the+acific and Indian oceans—ano-
ther shall have been at least seven years in the coasting trade
of Great Britain. and shall have commanded's vessel or ves-
sels, in the merchant service; at least seven years—another of
the said examiners shall have commanded a steam vessel or
stearn-vessels, at least three years, and also shall have been
•

four years at sea in a sailing vessel or vessels, and another—
who shall be the principal examiner—shall have a competent
knowledge of theoretical as well as practical navigation, and
shall have been dt least seven years. Power is given to the
Trinity House to reject any member elected in the foregoing
ports, by the bhipowners, as an examinator. The 14th clause

gives the power to the Trinity House to appoint and alter at
their own will and pleasure the nature and the examinations in
seamanship, navigation, and general professional know-
ledge." The remuneration to be given to examiners is as
follows :—To the principal examiner, £4OO per annum ; first
London examiner, £3OO ; second, £250; third, £250 ; se-
cretary, £5OO ; clerk, £l5O. At Liverpool and Glasgow
respectively :—To the first examiner, £250 per annum ;
Second, £l5O ; third, £l5O ; clerk, £lOO. And at the other
five boards respectively, namely, Bristol, Newcastle, Hull,
Leith, and Dublin :—To the first examiner, £2OO per annum ;
second, £100; -third, £100; clerk, £BO.

COMMITMENT FOR AN INTENT TO COMMIT FELONY.—
Yesterday, at the Police-court, a man named James Owens
was placed before Mr. Rushton under the following circum-
stances. Ann Saville stated that she was in the service of
Mr. Thomas Lake, who keeps the Commercial Tavern, Can-
ning-place ; and that on Wednesday evening, between eight
and nine o'clock, while she was returning down stairs from
.the upper rooms of the house with a lighted candle, she went
into bed-room No. 9, and there found the prisoner, lying
between some boxes there deposited. She asked what he
was doing there, and received no answer. She immediately
closed the room door, and called Mr. Lake, who, with others,
came up, and the prisoner was secured. Mr. Lake said that
he found the prisoner there when he was called up ; that the
door of the room was not kept locked; an.l that nothing ap-
peared to, he amiss with the locks and drawers. Police-officer
George M'Kenzie said.he was called in, and, on finding the
prisoner in the room, took him to Bridewell. The prisoner
was there searched by Mr. George Greaves, who found upon
him ten skeleton keys, a picklock, and a putty knife, which
he produced. Yesterday morning he went to the house,
tried the locks, and found that he could lock and unlock
three of the rooms with the keys. The prisoner said in his
defence that he had neither damaged nor removed anything.
He was committed for trial at the sessions.

CURIOUS CASE RELATIVE TO THE DETENTION OF A
SHIP'S REGISTER AND OTHER DOCUMENTS. -At the
Police-court on Wednesday, Capt. Wyles, of the brig Mary,
appeared, by summons, before Mr. Rushton, to answer the
complaint of the owner of the vessel, Mr. Morrison, rope-
manufacturer and ship-chandler. The latter stated that the
captain detained, and refused to deliver up tke register of
the ship, and other documents, and called upon the magi-
strate to compel him to produce them. The defendant-
stated that he had navigated the vessel out to Lisbon and
home ; that his claim for wages (amounting to about £l6),
was refused by Mr. Morrison, and that he had retained the
papers as a security for the liquidation of his claim. He was
prepared to produce the papers on his demand being satisfied.
Mr. Rushton said that any person wilfully detaining a vessel's
register from the owners was liable to be lined £lOO or,
in default of payment of that penalty, to be imprisoned for
six months. He did not, however, wish to construe the act
so strictly in this case, wherein a claim for wages was pre-
ferred, as to leave the defendant in such a condition as might
render it difficult for him to prosecute that claim ; and he
accordingly postponed the further hearing of the case until
yesterday, on the documents being laid before him, he
should be enabled to judge of the(' validity of the captain's
claim. The parties accordingly again appeared in court yes-
terday. The owner of the vessel said that all the documents
he required had not yet been rendered ; he had received
only two accounts of disbursements for the vessel at Lisbon,
and wanted vouchers for the whole expenditure: the register
was also still detained. The defendant said that he had
handed over to Mr. Morrison all the vouchers which he had
received, and all that were necessary to be produced for so
short a voyage. Ile had also submitted his books, in which
all particulars were stated ; and it was not his fault if Mr.
Morrison had declined to copy them. Some conversation
then took place relative to the carpenters' bill, which the
captain said lie had paid out of a sum of £lB he had received
at Lisbon. • Mr. Morrison said he had certainly received a
book made up by the captain, but he knew that several of
the accounts in it were overcharged. He called the .nate of
the vessel, who said that only sixteen pounds of sugar was
received on board, and it appeared that forty pounds were
charged for by the captain. The latter did not cross-ques-
tion this witness, but protested that the accounts were
correct, and that the contrary was not proved. Mr. Rush-
ton said, that feeling the hardship of the defendant's case,
with reference to his wages, he had postponed the final hear-
ing of. the case ; and, without entering into it further, he
must now convict the defendant in the penalty stated, or, in
defult, put him into gaol, unless he gave up the register,
which he recommended he should do, so that a settlement
might be come to between the parties. The defendant might
sue for his waaes if he thought proper, for with regard to the
captain's, he (Mr. R.) had no jurisdiction in such matters.
The defendant finding that he would otherwise be taken into
custody, delivered up the register, vehemently remarking
to the complainant, " It will do him no good I I am robbed !
I am the third captain be has robbed in the same way!"
Mr. Rushton said he must sue for his wages. The defen-
dant said it would be of no use to sue such a man, and left
the court.