The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-04 00:00:00

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION

The conservatives of Wigan have again proved to their
boasting opponents that their principles are honourable and
just, and such as command respect and honour from the
electors of the borough. The whole number of gentlemen
returned as councillors for the ensuing year are those who
have espoused conservative principles, and are known to be
men of worth and honour. Ashamed of their past misdeeds,
the radical party in Wigan have shrunk from a struggle for
the ascendancy in the council, fearinc, the justly merited re-
proof which they would doubtless have received from the
constituents they formerly so misrepresented. Of the ten
gentlemen who came out this year by rotation five have been
returned, and in no ward besides the Scboles Ward did any-
thing like a contest take place. In this ward Mr. William
Caldwell and Mr. George Green were the retiring council-
lors, and both again offered themselves as candidates for
further honour. Mr. Green, however, lost his popularity a
short time ago, in pressing for an additional appointment of
police officers, and was opposed in the election* by Mr. James
Heaton, who gained a majority over him of 21. Mr. Cald-
well, on the other hand, has risen much in the estimation of
his constituents by a zealous perseverance in the opposition
to a fresh police appointment,—and stood at the head of the
poll by a large majority. In Queen-street ward, the conser-
vative Candidates were subjected to a little annoyance, but
the opposition amounts to nothing like a contest. The con-
servatives have every reason to be gratified at the result,
which is a clear indication of the opinion entertained by the
electors.
The following is the list of councillors returned for the
different wards, on Tuesday last :
No. I.—Scholes Ward.—Messrs. William Caldwell and
James Heaton.
No. 2.—St. George's Ward.—Messrs. J. Fairhurst and
M. Barton.
No. 3.—Queen-street Ward.—Messrs. F. Houghton and
P. Woods.
No..l.—Swiraley Ward.—Messrs. H. Newsham and W.
Edwards.
No. S.—A.P. Saints' Ward.—Messrs. T. Eckersley and S.
Holt.

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE OVERSEERS

The overseers of the Borough were again 'summoned be -
fore the Magistrates at the Town Hall, on Wednesday last,
by the poor-law guardians of the Wigan Union, for neglect-
ing to pay £1512 16s. 11d. upon the orders which had been
made upon them by the guardians. Mr. Ingram clerk to
H. Gaskell Esq.,, gave evidence as to the position in which
the overseers stood with respect to the guardians. Mr. Whit-
tle, who is the principal acting overseer, cross examined Mr.
Ingram, but elicited nothing which made their case more
favourable. In answer to questions from the bench, Mr.
Ingram stated, that the orders made upon the overseers by
the Guardians had all been regularly served upon the assist-
tant overseer at the Guardian office, in which he had seen
the overseers of the poor transacting from time to time, the
business :attendant:upon their office. Mr. Whittle applied
to have the case adjourned for a fortnight, as the legal adviser
of the overseers was from home, and the notice which they
had received was only short. The Mayor and the Magis-
trates were of opinion that the case should, be settled and
that a warrant of distress should be issued, and to be dormant
fora short time, to igive the overseers an opportunity of
paying the money. Mr. Aston, proposed that the case
should be adjourned, but a majority of the magistrates were of
opinion that the warrant of distress should be made out.
Mr. Whittle said he objected to the warrant being made out
and left the court declaring his intention to appeal against it.

A Russ' AN COURT BALL.--Immediately after my presen-
tation to the Emperor and Empress of Russia, I had the
honour of being present at a magnificent ball, which showed
the Court in all its splendour. On such occasions no civil
costume is admitted. Every one is in uniform, and the vari-
ety of dresses gives a splendid character to the scene. Ima-
gine gigantic rooms lit up by thousands of wax-lights, an
assemblage of 1,500 persons, women admirably beautiful,
whose exquisite dresses add to their beauty, and you would
suppose yourself in a fairy scene. The emperor opens the
Court Ball with a Polonaise, dancing at first with the
Empress, then with the Princesses of the Imperial family,
and next with the ladiesof the highest nobility, or the hand-
somest. At the Court of Russia beauty has the privilege of
the entree, and causes birth to be forgotten. The Empress
loves to collectround her the handsomest faces, and it is rare
to see the young daughters of functionaries of fortune and
rank altogether secondary become ladies of honour to the
Empress, thanks to their beauty and agreeable appearance.
When the Emperor has danced a certain number of Polo-
naises, French quadrilles and mazurkas are taken up all con-
cluding with cotillons. The empress formerly was exceed-
ingly fond of dancing, and excelled in the art, b'ut at present
she rarely does more than a figure in a quadrille, or take a
turn or two in a waltz. At twelve o'clock the guests repaired
to the marble hall and the Imperial family took their seats
at a table apart; the others placing themselves at tables ar-
ranged in groups round the imperial one. The emperor
supped in the winter garden, and admitted to his supper-
table only a few chosen persons. This winter garden, orna-
mented with palna-trees and magnificient orange trees, forms
a charming contrast with the supper-room resplendent with
tapers. The half light with which it was lit 'ip, the little
birds, who, frightened by the noise, sent forth from time to
time a few short notes, and the perfume from the flowers
appeared to me to be the triumph of civilization over dark-
ness, and produced in me the effect of an enchanted palace.
I had next me a little man full of spirits and obliging, who
laughed at the ecstacy in which these wonders threw me.
The table was loaded with silver plate there was before me
a vase, weighing, it was said, 200 killogrammes, in which a
man could hide himself. I learned from my neighbour that
this magnificent service came from the Empress Elizabeth,
and, after having been for a length of time shut up in cases,
had been discovered two years ago in the marble palace.
The supper, which was, composed of hot dishes, was servad
up by a crowd of footmen, and some Moors amongst them
were remarked for their strange and original costume.—Jour-
nal de Franqfort.