The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-10-24 00:00:00

GE.XEI?AL INTELLIGEYCE.

RIO JANEIRO must be the paradise of capitalists. The
National Bank of Brazil has just declared a dividend of
26 per cent. per annum, whilst the Mortgage Bank pays
85 per cent.

'Ntz Cuoss licrp THE CBESCENT.—It is mentioned by a
Vienna paper that for the first time for four hundred
years a cross was publicly erected in the Turkish capital.
It was while a funeral mass was read for Marshal St.
Arnaud.

TnE BEARD MOVEMENT.—A gentleman in Vermont,
some years since, declared that he would not shave till
Henry Clay was chosen President of the United States.
He kept his word and is still living with half•a-bushel of
hair hanging from his face.
Isisc TOIIISSAINT LOUVERTITRE, the only surviving
son of the celebrated black general of that name, of the
island of St. Domingo, has just died at Bordeaux, at an
advanced age ; where he had been living under an assumed
name. He was in receipt of a large pension from the
French Government.

PROROGATION OP PARLTA.MRNT.—A supplement to the
London Gazette states that, at the court held at Windsor
on Wednesday, Parliament, which stood prorogued to
Thursday, the 19th instant, was further prorogued to
Thursday, the 16th day of November next.

THE RULING PASSION.—A Madrid correspondent,
describing the interest the poorer classes take in a bull-
fight, says that recently a young man actually cut off his
wife's hair, while she was asleep, and sold it, in order to
raise money for the purpose of seeing the fight.
A PATENT has been signed, allowing Mr. T. P. Shaffinir,
an American, to construct an electric telegraph from
North America, over Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroes,
to Norway, and Copenhagen.
A CHELTENHA3d PAPER states that a few days ago, as
the wife of a butcher, of Crosley, Wilts, was whitewashing
their cottage, she pulled away an old board from the
ceiling, when a bag containing £370 in gold fell to the
floor.

ROYAL JUVENILE GARDENBRS.—The Prince of Wales
and the Princess Royal have each a small garden at Os-
borne, which they cultivate 'themselves. Great rivalry
exists amongst them as to which can produce the best
flowers and fruit. The Prince had failed in the production
of something, and he solicited help. Prince Albert, when
he found this out, forbade it, adding he did not wish the
future King of England to receive assistance in anything
that he could do himself.
A THOUSAND SINGING BIRDS FOR AMERICA.—Among
the "passengers" by the Washington steamer, which
left Southampton last week for the United States, were
upwards of 1,000 singing canary birds. A cabin was
fitted for them. Canary birds are exported in large
numbers from Brecon to New York by the Southampton
steamers, and they are collected from all parts of Germany.

PRIIMINENT T-owss are rising at the Victoria gold-
diggings. The ,Bendigo "diggings" will soon be super-
seded by the " City of Sandhnrst ;" the land is beine,
surveyed in the vicinity, and there will ere long be 20,000
acres ready for sale. In other golden localities a similar
change from encampments to towns and villages is goingon.

D;NGEROITS SPORT.—While one of the Brothers
Braquet, an acrobat of great renown in the south of
France, was recently amusing his audience at Bordeaux,
the " perche" on which he was going through his evolu-
tions broke. He was killed on the spot; making, as the
Salut Public of Lyons observes, the fifth catastrophe of
the kind which has happened within the year.
COPYRIGHT.—American journalists are full of the copy-
right question. The last blow passed home. The most
selfish as well as the most generous instincts are now
roused. Mr. Prescott finds himself as much wronged by
the want of law, as Mr. Grote ; and Mr. Hawthorn is as
defenceless against the reprinters in England as Mr.
Dickens is against the reprinters of the United States.
HOTEL ROBBERY.—On Tuesday, Corneille Gospert was
committed, by the Marlborough-street magistrate, for a
daring mode of robbery. He took a bed at Webb's hotel,
in Piccadilly, and, in the night, went round on a plunder-
ing visit to each of the other guests. If any one took
alarm he assured them he was only boots. Thus he
was progressing successfully, till a gentleman, thinking it
extraordinarily early for " boots," collared him, and found
stolen property upon him.

FORZiEBY.—The Bristol magistrates have committed a
lawyer's clerk of that city, named John Gollifer, to take
his trial for forgery, in imitating the signature of Sir
John Eardley Wilmot, Bart. judge of the Gloucestershire
County-court, on a counterfeit order for the protection of
an insolvent. The young man had obtained £l2 from a
tradesman of the city, who was in difficulties, by offering
to carry him through the Insolvent Court, and had forged
the order of protection as a means of keeping up the
deception.

EXTRAORDINARY BURGLIRT.—Even Regent-street, it
seems, is not safe from burglars. Jewellery to the value,
it is said, of £1,500, was stolen on Sunday last week, from
the premises of Mr. Burngart. A fortnight ago three
men, apparently gentlemen, hired the apartments over
the shop, and, on Sunday, having full leisure to effect
their purpose, they cut a large hole through their floor
into Mr. Bumgart's shop, and made off with a large quan-
tity of gold watches, chains, rings, &c.
TILE NEW RULER, O➢ EGYPT.--Said Pasha, says
correspondent of the Bombay Times, is evidently im-
pressed with a sense of his present dignity and importance,
and desirous that it should neither be lessened nor for-
gotten. On some of his ci-derant acquaintance calling
upon
him in an every-day costume, and with a " Well, old
boy, how are you ?" Said Pasha drew himself up with
much dignity, and asked whether they would presume to
address Her Majesty Queen Victoria in a similar costume
and manner ? He subsequently ordered that none should
be admitted to his presence in shooting coats, or other
than suitable costume, i. e.—full dress.
A RusstlN PRIM—The Ocean Bride, which was
lately seized at Leith as Russian property, has escaped
condemnation in the Admiralty Court. It appeared that
the vessel was properly the property of a British firm at
Dundee, but being at or near Archangel at the time of
the break out of the war, she was transferred to a Russian
firm, to save her from seizure by Russia. It having now
been seized by our Government as Russian property, the
British owners plead that the transfer to Russia was but a
sham; and the judge, taking this view of the matter, the
ship was directed to be restored on payment of costs.

FLOATING BATTERIES.—Messrs. Green, of Blackwall,
Messrs. Wigram and Co., and Messrs. Smith, have received
orders from the Government to build a set of floating
batteries. They are to be flat-bottomed, with three keels,
and of sufficient tonnage to carry a small fort constructed
of iron and wood. It is stated that 350 tons of iron will
be used in the construction of each fort, and that its iron
walls will be everywhere nine inches in tictickness. The
forts are to be mounted with cannon. The vessels are to
be of 1,300 tons burden, and will be as strong as iron and
wood can make them. The decks are to be eight inches
thick. It is believed that these formidable constructions
are intended for the Baltic.
THE LATH FISH AT NEWCASTLB.—It is now ascer-
tained that the total damage done by the destructive fire
and explosion at Newcastle will not exceed £200,000. It
will be remembered that the first estimate was that two
millions worth of property had been destroyed. That the
actual should be so much less than the real value, is to be
accounted for by the wretched character of the neighbour-
hoods which the flames consumed. These portions of
Newcastle and Gateshead were exactly what the bulk of
old London was previous to the great fire—horrible dens
of filth and misery, in which it was impossible to carry out
sanitary and police regulations. The fire will, therefore,
be a purifier and refiner ; and will improve the physical as
well as the moral health of the community.
CONSERYATtVB LAND SOCIETY. The twenty-second
public drawing for rights of choice took plans on Saturday
week, the Rev. Dr. Worthington in the chair. At the
conclusion of the drawing the chairman announced that
the committee would shortly allot various estates.
Amongst others that at Hounslow, in reference to which
there had been considerable delay, owing to the absence
of the Duke of Northumberland, whose signature was re-
quired to an indispensable deed. That formality had now
been procured, and the society would shortly be in a posi-
tion to proceed with the allotment of this estate. Many
inquiries had been made as to the time for the allotment
of the estate at West Malvern, and he was happy to say
that it would speedily take place, as well as of the East
Retford and Tuubridg►e Wells estates. The committee
had just concluded the purchase of a very valuable estate
in the east of London, and the purchase of other valuable
properties was in contemplation. He need hardly remark
that they had been very successful at this year's registra-
tion, as it was " a great fact," indeed, so signal had been
the success, that he trusted the whole conservative party
throughout the kingdom would come forward and avail
themselves of the machinery of the society, and thus aid
very much the value of their investments. He confidently
trusted, at no distant date, to be able to congratulate the
shareholders on a great increase in the value of their
property.

- TICE -COMMON. LAW PROCEDURE ACT of last session
(17th and 18th Victoria, chap. 125) comes into force this
day. It is entitled, "An Lct for the further amendment of
the process, practice and mode of pleading in and enlarging
the jurisdiction of the superior courts of common law at
Westminister, and of the superior courts of common law
of the counties Palatine of Lancaster and Durham?' There
are 107 clauses in the act. Judges, by consent, may try
questions of fact without a jury. Two judges may sit at
the same time for trial of causes pending in the same court.
Arbitrations may be ordered before trial. A special case
may be stated and questions of fact tried. A judge may
order an arbitration at the time of trial when issues of fact
are left to his decision. An award is to be made in three
months, unless the parties or the Court enlarge the time,
A rule to deliver possession of land in pursuance of an
award is to be enforced as a judgment in ejectment. In
addressing a jury the party who begins, or his counsel, is
to be allowed, in the event of his opponent not announcing,
at the close of the case of the party who begins, his inten-
tion to adduce evidence, to address the jury a second time
at the close of such case, for the purpose of summing up
the evidence (if any), and the right of reply is to be the
same as at present. A judge may adjourn a trial. An
affirmation may be received in lieu of an oath where a
party refuses or is unwilling to be sworn, when the judge
is satisfied of the sincerity of the objection. Parties may
discredit their own witnesses. Comparison of disputed
handwriting is permitted. Documents may be stamped
at trials on payment of the duty and penalty. Error may
b 4 stated on a special case. Grounds are to be stated on
a rule nisi for a new trial, and if a rule is refused, the
party may appeal.- There are several provisions on the
subject of the appeals. An oral examination of witnesses
to be directed. Persons who refuse to make an affidavit
may be examined. The discovery and production of doeu
ments to be ordered. Interrogatories may be delivered to
the opposite side. Inspection by a jury of parties or wit-
nesses to be permitted. A judge may make regulation for
the attendance of a jury. A creditor who has obtained-a
judgment may examine his debtor as to the debt due to
him, andajudge may attach the debts and adopt proceedings
to obtain the same. There are some sections with respect
to an action for mandamus to enforce the performance of
duties; showing the nature and mode of proceeding. A
specific delivery of chattels to be enforced. An alteration
is made as ;to a writ of injunction, which may be applied
for at any stage, of the cause. An equitable defence may
be pleaded. Actions may be maintained on lost instru-
ments. Some amendments are made as to actions of eject-
ment. The provisions are extended to the county palatine
of Lancaster and Durham, and the Queen may direct all
or part of the act to.extend to any court of record in Eng-
land or Wales. The judges may make rules, and new forms
of writs of proceedings are to be ordered to carry into effect
the common law reftuno paucticoncd by the act,

TirE PEOPLE or Sourn AIISTBA.LIA. are raising a fund
of £20,000 for the wives and children of our soldiers and
sailors engaged in the war. .

REMA.BILLBLE TURF COINCIDENCES.—This year the
Chesterfield Stakes were won by Lord Chesterfield, the
Rutland Stakes by the Duke of Rutland, the Bedford
Stakes by the Duke of Bedford, and the Cwsarewich by
Muscovite! _ . .

Tux TILEASURT.—It is reported at the Treasury that
Mr. G. Arbuthnot, the auditor of the civil list, will shortly
be appointed a Commissioner of Woods and Forests, in
the room of the Right Hon. T. F. Kennedy.
LIE RULING PASSION.—Since the news of the late
victory has arrived, applications for admissions into the
army have increased nearly tenfold.
A PIitOMISING FAMILY.—A child, aged three years,
belonging to a woman named Henry, died near Toome,
Ireland, a few days ago from intoxication ! The grand-
mother, mother, and aunt of the child were all drunk at
the same time.—Northern Whiy. •
LONGEVITY.—On the 7th of October, Mrs. Susan Iblett
died at Weybread, in the county of Suffolk, aged 101 years,
She was born on the 4th of June, 1750, and baptised on
the 13th of October, 1754. It is remarkable that her
burial took place on Friday, the 13th of October, 1854,
just a century after her baptism. She enjoyed the use of
her faculties until the last year of her life, and had a cheer-
ful and happy expression of countenance.

EXETRIi DIOCESAN TRAINING COLLEGR.—The newly-
erected college at Exeter was opened on Wednesday, with
great pomp and ceremony. The building has lately been
erected by public subscription, with the aid of a grant
from government, for the training of national school-
masters for the West of England. In the evening the
event was celebrated by a public dinner, at which Earl
Fortescue (lord-lieutenant of the county) presided.
AN M.P. IN A. CAST.—On Monday night, Mr. George
Hudson arrived at Middlesbrough-on-Tees, on a visit to
the mayor. On his arrival at the station no conveyance
could be had by which to reach the residence of the mayor.
The town cannot boast of a single cab, and as a last resort
the member for Sunderland mounted a milkman's cart,
which was on its way to Morton, and thus the railway
king jogged on to Mr. Bolckow's hospitable mansion.

V
BIIRNT BANK NOTES.—Messrs. Thiedmann and Co.,
one of the firms which were burnt out on the Quayside,
Newcastle, had in their safe the sum of £35 in bank notes.
They were, however, burnt to ashes ; but the remains
were laid before the manager of the branch bank, were
carefully packed up and sent to London, and, by return of
post, an order for the amount was transmitted.
EXTRAORDINARY COINCIDENCE.—The 231 September,
the day on which the Russians sunk their ships of war in
the entrance to Sebastopol, is the first day of the French
year, according to the Republican calendar, the first day
of the Jewish year, and also the first day of the Mahome-
dan year. The commencement of the French year is
concurrent with the autumnal equinox; the Jewish is a
regular lunar year ; and the Mahomedan consists of only
354 days 9 hours. This stranv concurrence of the three
new-years' days has never happened before, and will not
be witnessed again for thousands of years.
Corrox FISHING NETS. Cotton fishing nets have
lately been manufactured with the best effect in Perth-
shire. Several of the cotton nets have been used during

the past season in the fishing 'of the :Tay, and have
answered every expectation. They are lighter and softer,
and consequently easier to draw, than the common hemp
nets, and are capable of being dried more perfectly, besides
possessing other good qualities which recommend them to
the general use of fishers.
Trin NEWCASTLE EXPLOSION.—When at Newcastle,
on her way to Hull, the Queen entered into conversation
with Lady Williamson and Mr. Liddell, and made in-
quiries of the Mayor of Gateshead relative to the late
calamitous fire, expressing her sympathy with the inhabit-
ants, and desiring that her Majesty's name should be
added to the subscription list in aid of the sufferers, with
the munificent contribution of £lOO.
THE ARCTIC COURTS-MARTIAL.—At the courts-mar-
tial held at Sheerness, on the officers of the Arctic squad-
ron, Captain McClure, Captain Kellett, and Commander
Richards were honourably acquitted of all blame in aban-
doning their ships. Of course, they acted under the orders
of the senior and chief, Sir Edward Belcher. In reference
to Sir Edward Belcher the finding has been :—The Court
is of opinion, from the great confidence reposed in Cap-
tain Sir E. Belcher by the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty, and the ample discretionary powers given to
him, that he was authorised, and did not act beyond his
orders, in abandoning Her Majesty's ship Assistance and
her tender, the Pioneer, or in directing the abandonment
of Her Majesty's ship Resolute and her tender, the In-
trepid, although, if circumstances had permitted, it would
have been advisable that he should have consulted with
Captain Kellett previously ; and that the Court doth
adjudge the said Captain Sir E. Belcher to be acquitted,
and he is hereby acquitted accordingly. The President
then returned Sir E. Belcher his sword without observa-
tion, and the Court was dissolved.
Ax INTERESTING GROUP OF EIIIGRANTS.—Mr. Austin,
a gentleman owning large tracks of land in Australia, has
engaged about 20 youths, between the ages of 12 and 17
years, at Glastonbury, the younger boys for seven, and the
elder ones for five years respectively, as sheepkeepers on
his extensive runs in the colony. They are furnished with
suitable outfits for the voyage, and a free passage, and
placed under the care of two experienced persons (a male
and female), who are to have charge of them on their
arrival. They are to be supplied with food and raiment
during their apprenticeship, and at the close of their terms,
to receive the sum of £lOO each. Only one of them
wished to decline going, which being made known, ano-
ther boy came forward immediately, was accepted, fur-
nished, and joined the adventurers. Previous to setting
off for their destination, they attended evening service at
St. Benedict's Church, and the worthy incumbent ad-
dressed them in a paternal and pathetic strain of exhorta-
tion, to "remember their Creator in the days of their
youth ;" observing that probably that was the last jime
in which they would be present at the public worship of
God in their own country. The little fellows wergdeeply
affected, and, with those of their parents who were pre-
sent, wept amidst the Christian sympathy of the congre-
gation.—Bath Chronicle.
HOPE MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE. Last week, the
Hope Mutual Life Assurance and Honesty Guarantee
Society held their annual meeting at their chief office,
Princes-street, Bank, London, Mr. Vane in the chair.
The report stated that from the Ist of September to the
31st of August, 1854, 341 proposals had been offered for
new assurances for sums exceeding £Bl,OOO, and from
which had been selected 234, covering risks of about
£48,000, and yielding an annual income of £1,406 14s. 9d.;
while, in addition, a large amount of business had been
declined, owing to the extreme nature of the risks pro-
posed. The lives enrolled on the books of the company
on the let of September, numbered 544 for life and en-
dowment insurances, the average sum insured on each
being about £227, and the average age 37 years. The
total sum assured exceeded £123,000, yielding an annual
income of £5,000, and realised within the first twenty-
nine months of the society's existence. The balance sheet
showed an amount on either side of £20,619 9s. 6d. The
chairman having regretted the loss, from death, of two of
their directors, and congratulated the shareholders on the
satisfactory position of their affairs, moved the adoption
of the report, which was seconded by Mr. Glenson, and
carried unanimously. Some observations from several of
the shareholders having been replied to by the chairman,
the retiring directors and auditors were re-elected, and
the proceedings, after thanks to the London and provin-
cial medical officers, agents, directors, and general ma-
nager (Mr. Eiffe), terminated.
A BRUTAL HUSBAND.—ThQmas Looker, a journeyman
cabinet-maker, was charged at the Worship-street Police-
court, London, on Wednesday, with having violently
assaulted and cruelly ill-treated his wife. It appeared
from the evidence of the wife, a delicate-looking woman,
that her husband, who obtained good wages, which he
was in the habit of squandering in drink, returned home
late on Saturday night in a state of intoxication, and,
after grossly abusing his wife for not giving him a hot
supper, came up to the bed, struck her on the eye, beat
her about the breast, and gave her a violent blow on the
temple, which rendered her insensible. On being ques-
tioned by the magistrate, the complainant added that she
had not tasted animal food for a month, and did not
know what it was to have a quiet night's rest. She also
stated, and her statement was confirmed by the relieving-
officer and the policeman who apprehended the husband,
that her children were at home half-starved and almost
naked, with nothing but an old piece of quilt to cover
them. The prisoner, on being asked what he had to say
to the charge, attributed the assault to the provoking
conduct of his wife, who followed him to the public-
house and disgraced him before his shopmates.

TIIN QUEEN OV ENGLAND AND TUB KING OP Pon•
TUGAL.—The King of Portugal and the Duke of Oporto
speak with delight of the reception and treatment they
met with at the British court. Queen Victoria went down
to the very door to meet them, kissed them both, addressed
them at once as plain Pedro and Lewis, and during the
whole time they stayed with her treated them as if they
were her own children. On one occasion, little Dou
Lewis, not having the fear of cholera before his eyes, was
feasting gloriously upon an enormous bunch of grapes,
when the Queen chancing to come up snatched it from
him and threw it away, administering at the same time a
dose of good advice on the subject of diet. This affec-
tionate familiarity so endeared her majesty to the young
strangers that they both cried when they took their last
leave of her as if they were parting from their own mother.
With their reception at Brussels, Berlin, Vienna, and the
camp at Boulogne, they were not at all pleased. It was
courteous, but at the, same time too stiff and formal to be
agreeable to boys of their age. The king's attendants,
from the gentleman down to the lowest servants, speak in
rapture of England and the English, who have therefore
risen very considerably in the estimation of the Portu-
guese. The wonders they relate are listened to with the
greatest interest, but it appears that there are certain
arcana, such as the existence of a tunnel under the
Thames, the number of cabs and 'busses in London, and a
few others, which, not to hazard their reputation for
veracity, they communicate only to men of strong faith.—
Lisbon correspondent of the Morning Herald.

EXTEADEDINARY SUICIDE BY Two SISTEIN.-At
Newcastle-on-Tyne considerable sensation was excited last
week by the suicide of two young women, sisters, under
singular circumstances. Their names were Ellen and
Isabella Robinson, aged respectively about 15 and 17 years,
and they were the daughters of a man named Zekiel
Robinson. The two deceased, and another elder and un-
married daughter, lived with their father, all the three
girls being occupied daily from home in some employment,
by which they assisted in maintaining themselves, the
youngest working in the establishment of a bookbinder.
It appears that late on Saturday night, when the father
was not in the house, a quarrel arose among the three
sisters, all of whom slept in one bed, and they eventually
became exceedingly excited. In the midst of the disturb-
ance the father returned home iu liquor, and either ordered
the elder of the deceased to leave the house, or said some-
thing which induced her to do so. She is described as
being of au exceedingly irritable and stubborn temper. She
left the house with little more than her nightclothes on,
and never returned. Her father dreading that she would
catch cold, sent the youngest of the sisters after her with
her bonnet and shawl; but neither of them coming back
again, he went in search of them. They could nowhere
be found, though the remainder of the night was spent in
anxious inquiries concerning them. Their melancholy
fate was not known until Sunday morning, when they
were discovered drowned in the river in the vicinity of
Elswick, about two miles from Newcastle, it is said, locked
in each other's arms. They are described by those who
knew them as industrious girls of good character.