The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-22 00:00:00

THE DRAMA,

The dramatic legend of " Giselle, or the Phantom Night
Dancers," which has been brought out at the Theatre Royal
in the good style and taste usually shown by Mr. Hammond,
has, so far, proved anything but attractive. The public palate
has been tickled with legitimate drama, but that will not go
down ; the bait of minor pieces has been tried, but the play-
goers—who, like the Indian tribes mentioned by the intelli-
gent Mr. Catlin, are yearly dwindling away, getting" small
by degrees, and beautifully less"—will not pay major prices
to see them. What, .then, is to be done? Our advice is to
meet bad times boldly; reduce the company, and reduce the
prices, and call upon the proprietors to reduce their rent.
Everything, except perhaps land and agricultural produce,
has come down in the scale of value. Manufactures, art,
education, and almost all the necessaries of life, are lower by
twenty-five per cent than they used to be; but theatricals, at
the " Royal properties," are rated as high as ever, while the
actual value is by so much less than they used to be. As
for " drawing," we do not know what would, just now,
prove a good card. Miss Kemble is the only one on the
boards worth taking up, and it is all a lottery whether she
turns up a trump or not. In the dearth of first-rate ability,
Mr. Hammond has certainly exerted himself to make up for
it by the admirable manner in which he has put his dramas
on the stage; and we do not think there is any provincial
establishment where more attention in this department is
exhibited. But what, so far, has been his repayment ?
Time was when a play got up at half the cost and labour of
the " Midsummer Night's Dream" would have been ap-
plauded to the very echo, and trumpeted forth as a magnifi-
cent effort of scenic display; and Mr. Hammond, in placing
Shakspeare so efficiently on the stage, termed " a reformer."
But it will not do ; the drama is at a discount, and we, like
the gentle swain of the olden bard, must " stand waiting'
while the stream descends."

The new drama of " Giselle," which has been singularly
successful In London, is founded on a German legendary
tale, running to the following effect :—" The Wilis, or Noc-
turnal Dancers, are brides who die before the day of mar-
riage, without having fully satisfied their love of dancing—.
there still remains in the heart which has ceased to beat, and
the feet that no longer move, that passion for the fete which
inspired them during life. These young affianced ones rise
at the hour of midnight, and assemble in troops near the
highways, and woe to the young man that meets them ; they
rush on him, and make him dance till he dies. They wear
crowns of flowers on their heads, and sparkling rings on their
fingers ; their faces, though white as snow, still preserve the
freshness of youth. Dressed in their marriage garments, and
sporting like elves in the bright moonlight, they have an air
so winning, a grace so seductive, smiles so perfidious, that
these brides of death are irresistible. It is in vain their
unhappy victims would fly them ; they follow, and own in
death their fatal fascination."

The plot of the piece is rather non-understandable ; but,
as some part of it is left for the imagination to fill up, it is
pleasant enough, since it calls the spectator's fancy into play.
In fact, "Giselle" is a mere vehicle to bring upon the stage
a variety of pleasing dances—numbers of pretty dancers,
with pretty legs—and several extremely beautiful scenes.
The heroi.ie, Giselle, is played by Mrs. Honner, who ori-
ginally did it in London. She is a clever actress, possessing
pathos and feeling, and evidently takes, nature for her model.
She moves gracefully, and sitigs sweetly. A " touch of her
quality" is exhibited in " Falls of Clyde," where she is
taxed by her father with her shame : her hysteric fit was
painfully natural. Mrs. Homier is one of the Keeley school,
and a good school it is. She very frequently reminds us of
Little Gertrude, both in voice and manner. We say this
without bringing the least charge of being a copyist. In
Giselle, where she dances in the paroxysm of delirium,
her pantomimic action is singularly wild and affect-
ing. Mrs. Honner will become a favourite here ; her
talents. so far as we have seen, challenge approbation.
Mr. Nantz, as Polonius says, " did enact" Hilarion, a
hunter in love with Giselle. Mr. Nantz' Mantilini
and Canterbury Tom were both capital impersonations,
but his Hilarion was gloriously Cartlichian. Old Richard-
son dearly loved " a bould voice :" the old fellow would have
enjoyed Hilarion vastly. Mr. Eaton, on Tuesday, played
Peterkin with much vivacity and humour. He undertook
the part at a very short notice, in consequence of Mr. Slai-
ter's indisposition on the previous night, which arose, we
believe, from exposure to the sun. On Monday night he was
evidently "in it" all through the evening. Mad. Schmidt,
Mrs. Barton, Mr. Vivash, Mr. Cooke, and Mr. Barton greatly
exerted themselves to make the drama go well. Of the
scenery we can speak with unreserved praise. " The cottage
of Aloise, the hunter, and the hermit's cave" is an exquisite
effort of scenic art. It reminded us of some of Ruysdael's
charming landscapes, presenting to view a highly pleasing
and, we may say, beautiful picture, with lights and shadows
cleverly distributed. " The exterior of Dame Bertha's cot-
tage," with a town and river in the distance, is another very
pretty scene, enlivened by a dance of vintagers. The next
remarkable tableau is the view of the Wilis' lake, by moon-
light. The lights in the front of the house being subdued,
this scene has a supernatural and unearthly effect. When
the Wilis are dancing it presents a still more extraordinary
appearance. The concluding scene, of "the Palace of the
Fountains," is a bold and very successful attempt to convey
the idea of a water queen's abode. The whole of the stage,
to the very walls, is thrown opera, and a vast amphitheatre of
fountains and waterfalls is presented to view, illuminated by
the most vivid coloured fires, and peopled by the phantoms
who sport on the waters. This scene has a grand effect, and
cannot fail to astonish and delight the spectator. Many of
the stage effects in this drama are novel and striking. We
may instance, the disappearance of Caspar, the appearance
of Giselle to Hilarion, and the sudden gatherings of the
Wili, or phantom night dancers. " Giselle" is a curious
drama, and well worth seeing. On Tuesday we had the
misery of seeing Mr. Travers play Tom Tug. In " Farewell
my trim-built wherry," one of the most pathetic and touch-
ing ballads ever written, he broke down, and was obliged, in
vulgar parlance, "to try back." He introduced " The
death of Nelson," and a regular hash he made of it. The
second verse was a perfect paroxysm of shouting and bawl-
ing, out of tune and time, with an occasional departure from
the text. Mr. Travers looked as awkward, as the "Jack in
the water" on one leg who plies at Whitehall Stairs. Miss
Gardner played Wilhelmina with much archness and vivacity.
Mr. Baker's Robin caused, as usual, loud laughter ; Mr.
Vivash was very good as Old Bundle ; and Madame Simon
luxuriated in the vulgar Mrs. Bundle. " Falls of Clyde,"

" The. Serjeant's Wife," and other stock pieces, have been
produced, in which Mrs. Honner has acquitted herself with
great ability. Mr. Slaiter's indisposition gave Mr. Macgre-
gor, an actor very little known here, an opportunity of
shining in "The Falls- of Clyde." From what we saw of
him, as Donald, the pipti wwslialLbe glad-to see him again.
He acted the funny litta,piper. inimitably, and came out
with such a genuine.gush.of broad Scotch that it was quite
delightful to hear him. Mr. Maegiegor excited very hearty
laughter, and came. in for a good share of applause. Mr.
Bellingham, as. Kenmure,impersonated it in his accustomed
affected manner. His lobsterlike sprawling on the stage,.
when shot by Edward Enfield, (Mr. Nantz,) elicited a
titter and a birdlike sound, from some parts of the house,
rather unsuitable to so pathetic an occasion. Such an attempt
at a " dying fall" would have set Heraclitus himself on the
broad grin.—Mr.. George Vandenhoff is engaged for three
nights, previous to his departure for America, whither he is
about proceeding to fulfil several engagements. Brother
Jonathan will like Mr. Vandenhoff ; he will become a favour-
ite there, as most of his family have been.—Miss Grant,
it will be seen elsewhere, takes her benefit on Wednesday.
Her metropolitan engagement has improved her vastly.

BERLIN, JULY 7.—On the sth of July, about six in the
afternoon, a storm from the north and north-west entirely
laid waste the environs of sixteen villages in the principa-
lity of Halberstadt, and the country of Mansfeld, and of
several villages in the Duchies of Anhalt, Dessu, and An-
holt Bamburg. The hailstones were as large as pigeons'
eggs, and some twice that size, and weighed two ounces.
Small birds, pigeons, poultry of all kinds, and a great quan-
tity of game were killed ; persons who were in the fields
were wounded, and one man was found dead. On many
fields not a sheaf of corn remains standing, and it cannot
be distinguished where. potatoes, turnips, &c., were growing.
The fruit, cherries, plums, &c., which presented a most
abundant crop, are beaten down with the branches. The
town of Ermsleben alone has lost 400 acres of flax, cost-
ing 30 dollars per acre, which makes 12,000 dollars. The
damage done to the fruit, to the roofs and windows is
immense.

CHURCH RATES.--A corresdondent of the London Times
has addressed the following letter to that journal. We will
venture to assert that the rector alluded to is no fosterer of
tractarian doctrines, or he would not have contributed
so materially to advance the interests of the church. The
writer dates Bramley by Bow, July 20, and writes thus :
" Our pretty little church having fallen into decay, a dis-
cussion arose in the parish—but of the most amicable cha-
racter—whether it should be enlarged ; or only subjected to
the necessary repairs, and a new ehuch built in the vicinity.
The funds, however, being insufficient for the latter purpose,
an enlargement of the old structure was determined upon ;
and after the assembling of one or two vestries for prelimi-
nary arrangement, a final vestry was called for the 19th inst.
At this meeting of the parish there appeared probably as
many dissenters as members of the church present; and it
was decided by the whole vestry without one dissentient
voice, but, on the contrary, with every expression of respect
for the church and the most kindly affection towards the
rector, that so heavy a rate as 3s. in the pound should he
imposed ; with only this condition, suggested by the worthy
rector himself—that though the rate was imposed at once, it
should only be collected in such portions as might be called
for by the architect, Mr. Railton. The vestry then separated
in the most cordial manner. It has been highly gratifying
to the whole parish to notice the very gentlemanly and libe-
ral conduct of our dissenting friends and neighbours on this
interesting occasion, i and I request your publication of this
letter, as an example to the country in general ; being of
opinion that
,wherever the clergy appear to have only the
glory of God, and the improvement of their fellow-creatures.
in view, they will always meet with a helping hand from en-
lightened dissenters, whatever difference of opinion may
exist upon minor theological points.

THE BLOWING-UP OF THE VESTA WRECK.—During
the past week much interest has been manifested in the ope-
rations being pursued under the superintendence of Captain
Fisher, chief harbour-master of the port of London, in
order to entirely destroy and remove the wreck of the barque
Vesta, of 400 tons, which has for the last two years so ma-
terially impeded the navigation of the Thames oft' Gravesend,
and which was finally completed on Tuesday last. From
the statement of Captain Fisher, which is most interesting,
it appears that the owners, crew, and those engaged in
endeavouring to raise the Vesta, having entirely abandoned
her, he received instructions from the corporation of Lon-
don to use some means for clearing away the wreck. Be-
lieving the only effectual means of doing so was to blow her
up with gunpowder, he caused two lighters to be moored
near the place, and having obtained the valuable assistance
of Mr. W. Downes, the celebrated diver, he succeeded in
ascertaining the exact position of the wreck, which was found
to lie with her head towards the shore, fixed on a very hard
bed of chalk, on to which she had run. His first attempt
was with a tin canister containing 40 lbs. of gunpowder,
with a fusee attached, and which was placed by Downes im-
mediately underneath the main hatchway. On being fired,
its effect was such that it not only blew the deck completely
ont, but also removed the vessel bodily from the spot where
it had previously lain. He repeated this experiment with
eight other canisters, containing the same weight of powder,
in all 360 lbs., but discharged by means of galvanic
batteries, which he found more efficacious than the fusee.
The effects of the discharges were not so great as might
have been expected from the havoc committed by the first ;
and he (Captain Fisher) was fearful of increasing them, lest
injury should result to the houses on shore. The firing took
place from the lighters, which were moored 250 feet from
the spot where the wreck lay, in seven fathoms water at low
water mark. Finding the small charges were insufficient
to blow the hull to pieces, Captain Fisher directed two canis-
ters, containing each 116 lbs. of gunpowder, and another
containing 165 lbs., to be placed inside the vessel. It was
found that the two former were effective in loosening the
timbers, and the cylinder having been placed in the body of
the wreck, it was fired. In an instant a loud rumbling noise
was heard, accompanied by a violent commotion of the water,
and immediately after the air became blackened by immense
masses of the wreck shooting above its surface, surrounded
by a dense volume of smoke, to the extent of 20 feet. The
larger portions were secured and dragged ashore, but a great
mass was floated away down the river. On examination the
whole of the Vesta's larboard quarter was found to be
completely carried away from her keel to her bulwarks, as
were also her bows. The starboard quarter and stern were
much shattered. On Downes again descending, he found
that all which remained of the vessel was the bottom, which
was shivered to pieces, and may be easily got up. In con-
sequence of the success of the experiment, it is expected
that the corporation will direct the steamer Apollo, run
down off Northfleet some years since, also to be blown up.

CORRESPONDENCE.

BUILDINGS IN LIVERPOOL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

Sett,—l do not wish to cavil with your critique on the
architecture of our buildings; I believe the integrity and
intelligence of the press to be the most important medium
we have for the promotion of arts and science, and in no
town in the kingdom is there so much room for improvement
in architecture as in Liverpool. The prefatory remarks of
your critique are worthy.amore impartial and correct ob-
servation of the two buildings you have described.
The offices in Fenwick-street, as a design, is good, and
spews the genius to design, but a deficient experience in its
detail is obvious, as well as in Lim symmetry. 1 would direct
your attention to the disproportion of the elevation of the
cubical block, (from 12 to 15 feet more ought to have been
divided in the three,stories ;) the small size of the windows
to the mass, and the diminutiveness of all the mouldings and
parts of the facade; also, to a remarkable absurdity in the
rnodillions which support the upper cornice. As to the
sculpture and foilage it.is mere sto::-: cutting without either
taste or spirit. _ _

In your description of a building at the corner of Oldhall-
street, from the " plans which the architect has kindly
shewn to you," I presume it is a continuation of that nearly
finished. If the architect verily believes the capitals of his
pilasters to be representations of those from the temple of
Jupiter Stator, he must have made a discovery that had
better not have been exhumed from the more classic rubbish
that concealed them from travellers hitherto. Now, Sir,
the capitals are miserably drawn, and the mechanic who cut
them, or any boy 10 years of age from the Mechanics Insti-
tution is quite capable of skewing. him. What reason or
precedent has he for coggling these pilasters a la Jupiter
Stator, upon a sub.pilaster split up the middle? Does he
know that the great end of architecture is utility, that
ornament is a super-addition, and that the spirit of genius
alone can render it beautiful ? does he know a piece of
Roman architecture from Greek, or Egyptian, or Gothic?
Is his Venetian window from the temple of Jupiter? and
what is the use of his pilasters and his pediments either
externally or internally ? This building, sir, is exceedingly
ridiculous as a design, and miserably vulgar in detail. There
is an entireness about the building in Fenwick-street, but in
this there has been no conception to define, no idea of
architectural beauty to develope ; no notion of beauty being
a kin to utility. From the description you have given. of
what remains to be erected, I shall withhold remarks, save
confirming the awful monstrosity of a truss to support the
corner that you justly suppose will deteriorate from the tout

ensemble

I am, sir, your obedient servant,
Liverpool.2oth July, 1842. VERITAS

[We have given insertion, though not without some reluc-
tance, to the letter of our correspondent,—first, because he
unwarrantably impugns our " partiality" in the notice we
gave of the two buildings in 9ina4tion ; secondly, because,
with reference to the former structure, he proceeds on the
assumption that the architect was allowed the entire indul-
gence of his own taste ; and thirdly, because he has thought
proper—we quote his own language—to presume" that the
latter " is a continuation of that.nearly finished," and ad-
joining it). We shall address ourselves as briefly as possible
to these respective points.

VERITAS (if he has had much practical experience in de-
signing commercial buildings, to be placed on very valuable
sites) must know, as well as, we do, that the architect is sel-
dom permitted to indulge in the full exercise of his talents as
an architect (a fact which we hinted at in our account) ; that
he is rarely allowed to sacrifice laud to outward effect ; and
that the respective elevations of the several stories of such
buildings cannot be always defined
•by the strict proportions
of the pure specimens of ancient Greece. Had "12 or 15
feet of additional elevation been divided, in the three stories
of the Brunswick-street building, the ceilings of the rooms
throughout would have been much higher than required for
airyness or comfort, and those who inhabited the upper
apartments would, in ascending the stairs, have undergone
(as in many of our modern mercantile erections) the daily
tortures of the tread-wheel ! In the column portions of
Grecian architecture, with their surmounting entablatures,
&c., we grant that a fixed and defined proportion must be
carried out to complete the peculiar order, and that any de-
viation therefrom would be monstrous. But he appears to
us to be rather hypercritical, in tying us down to precise pro-
portion in the elevation of the general mass. We differ from
him, too, with respect to the windows, which he considers
too small—though they are large apertures, and no fewer than
27 without a blank in one façade. Nor do we concur with
him as to the sculpture, which, though not peculiarly bold,
has nevertheless a fine effect. After all, the question resolves
itself, to a great extent, into a matter of taste ; and though
we admire purity of design, we do not see the necessity of a
servile adherence to, or a perpetual plagiarism of the ancient
masters in the art of building—many of whom exhibited a
variety of conceptions, both in design and ornament.
To come to the the third point between us, our corres-
pondent would have done well to have assured himself of the
accuracy of his premises before he presumed that the build-
ing of Messrs. Waterhouse, in Chapel-street, was to be " a
continuation of that nearly finished," and adjoining to it.
How could he entertain such a supposition when we stated
distinctly that it was to be in the Roman style, not a particle
of which is introduced in the other, so far as we have ob-
s€rved ? Having, however, so " presumed," he proceeds
to demolish (with pen in lieu of battering-ram) a building
not yet raised above the ground, mistaking that next to it
for the veritable pile itself. He denounces the architect as
more ignorant than a tyro of 10 years old, and demolishes
his capitals at few strokes. We may think this a capital
joke; but we think he would have been more discreet had
he waited to see the building erected before he attacked it, ,
Don Quixote did not make a greater mistake when he.
doughtily attacked the windmills, believing them to be giants.
The two buildings are in totally different styles, owned by ,
different parties and designed by different architects. We,
however, concur with him in the opinion that the introduc-
tion of a truss at the corner, supporting a pilaster above to
each front at the angle, will be very unseemly, and this, too,
is the opinion of the proprietors and the architect; but as.
this is a scientific mode to the public, and that, too, without
cost, it were unjust to blame either of these parties, as it,
had nothing to do with the original design. The last sen-
tence of our correspondent's letter we have suppressed, for
reasons which, upon reflection, he may readily divine.—Ed.
L. S.l

PHRENOLOGY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

SCR,-11 you thinkWe!feilliiwing observations on phreno-
logy worthy of a place iu fhe'S I will thank you
to insert them. They have WAference to a certain recent
controversy : rf
The non appearance of any: organs in the brain seems
to furnish a very strong premption against phrenology,
and might of itself induce an :enliT,thtened disciple of Bacon
to treat the whole matter as downright nonsense. Had the
organs visibly existed, it would have been the part of legiti-
mate philosophy to endeavour to find out their uses ; but the
circumstance that they are merely hypothetical, Seems at
once to exclude phrenology from the number of gem4e.l

sciences.
The allotment of two instruments to one mental, function
is contrary to all analogy. I believe the phrenologists some-
times represent this supposed arrangement as an admirable
instance of the wisdom and providence of nature ; " for how
wretched," say they, " had been the condition of a man
who had lost the use of one side of his head, if he had not
had the other to think with?" Nothing, I think, could be
more nonsensical than this; nothing more puerile than to
fancy that nature had given us two eyes, for instance, to
provide against the cases in which one is lost—an accident
not happening to one person, perhaps in ten thousand.
Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine of the human
species have more than one eye, solely on account of the
ten thousandth, who otherwise had become quite blind!
One eye is merely a duplicate of the other, in the same way
as we send a copy of a letter to China for fear the original
should be lost ! Nor is it any wiser to conceive a second eye,
given upon the consideration that two would wear better than
one; as if nature could not have imparted the virtual vigour
of two eves to one. To conceive such things is to ascribe
to nature the imperfection of man. Some organs in the
human body are, indeed, double, but never in any case in
which one could perform exactly the same work as two. We
have two eyes, because one, if placed where the eyes are at
present, would have been hindered by the intervention of the
whole breadth of the face, from commanding more than one
half of the scene through which we were advancing : and, if
placed, like that of the cyclops, in the middle of the fore-
head, it would still have been prevented by the interposition
of two or three inches of space between it and the side of
the head, from perceiving the landscape close up to the per-
son in walking ; whereas the two eyes, placed as they are at
the very edge of the face, command equally the space on
both sides, from the most immediate proximity to the
greatest distance. We have two ears also; because a single
ear, wherever situated, must have been materially hindered
by the interposition of the body from hearing sounds in the
direction opposite to that in which it was turned. I need
not say why we have more than one leg: for I believe the
phrenologists will not insist that we have two merely for fear
we should lose one. But we have only one nose, appa-
rently because the impressions which it is its office to re-
ceive, have no relation to the extension of space, and its
sense is not obstructed by the intervention of our own bodies
between it and its objects. To be sure the phrenologists
may say we have two nostrils, but none, except phrenolo-
gists, would pretend that we have the second nostril for fear
we should lose the first. We have only one mouth, because
the sense of taste has, in its action, no relation whatever to
anything without ourselves ; and is not liable, like sight or
hearing, to be obstructed in its function, either by its posi-
tion in the body, or by the circumstances of external space.
Now, I contend that, in point of analogy, thinking, or the
exercise of intelligence, a power purely internal in its opera-
tion, as the taste is, is far more likely to have only a single
organ or seat, than to have two, like the very dissimilar
powers of sight and hearing, whose province is to communi-
cate with external nature. In this respect, analogy is clearly
against the phrenologists ; and so much against them, as to
throw, in my opinion, a great degree of suspicion over their
whole theory ; forasmuch as the hypothesis of double organs
charges Nature with making the second, either from fear of
accident, or to make up for her inability to impart sufficient
power to one ; while I believe that, in the whole economy of
Nature, there will be found no such appearance or acknow-
ledgment of deficient vigour.

But the suspicion attaching to the idea of mind having
double organs, is much increased by another consideration
which suggests itself. One half of the brain is just the same
as the other half; and so one half of the body is just the same
as the other. Is it possible to forbear suspecting that this
double form of the brain has a particular relation to the dou-
ble form of the body ? May we not reasonably infer that
the brain, in fact, has far less to do with the mind, after
all, than with the both/ 7 It would give me pain to be com-
pelled to believe anything to the disparagement of mind, and
to the honour of matter, against which I plead guilty to
having a very strong prejudice ; whereas I have the same
sentiments of regard for the soul, that Tacitus tells us one
could not help entertaining for Agricola : Magnum libenter
crederem.

In conclusion, there is a great deal of the suppleness of
Mahomet about the phrenologists. They will go to the
mountain, if the mountain will not come to them. No phy-
sical difficulties, however insuperable, stand the least in their
way. Thus it might be supposed, that a substance so con-
cealed as the living brain—an apparatus so exquisite as the
organ of intellect—might have many qualities and modes of
action not only undiscoverable by human search, but not
conceivable—the thousandth part of them—to human imagi-
nation. But no. According to the phrenologists, not only
the operations of the organ of mind, but the very properties
of the matter which compose it, are all obvious to the eye—
nay, could all be ascertained with the tips of the fingers, with
some little reference.to temperament, a thing easily known
by observing the complexion. It was also exceedingly pos-
sible—nay, it is only by a miracle that it was not actually
the case—that only part of the brain might have been allotted
to intellect, and that part of it might have been connected
merely with the functions of life. Such a distinction it vras
impossible for man to trace, and therefore the phrenologists
boldly claim the whole of the brain for intellect—the.pnislY:
way in which they could have made anything of ,t. It
indeed, truly wonderful—in fact. hardly credible--that,.
the few superficial circumstances which human
pe
observationhen
the entire
could possibly discover in the brain, as the phreno-
a
and constitution of the mind could be found,
logists pretend.—Yours, &c., SEPTIMUS.
Liverpool, 19th July, 1842.

LAurrcu.--A very large steam-ship will be launched at
Derry in a few days; she is to be propelled by the An•lii-
median screw.

" Our church clock," says the editor of a down east
paper. " keeps time so well, that we get a day out of every
week by it."

"WE ARE SORRY TO HEAR."--A phrase used by
editors pro forma. It is generally penned in cases of in-
teresting accidents, when scribes of the press are not sorry,
but glad, that they should have something of moment to lay
before their readers.

ORTHOGRAPRICAL EXERCISES.—At the window of a
private house in Union-street, Marylebone, a bill is exhi-
bited, from which the following is copied verbatim :—" The
Mangelling Traid removed hear from the Strete round the
Cornir Threhapense a Duzzen. N. B.—New Milk and
Creme Sould Hear Warentidd Freh and Not Stail evry
Mornin."

FETTERCAIRN—EXTRAORDINARY CROP OF APPLES.—
The number of apples on a tree on the front wall of the farm
house of Balmain, covering a surface of 54 square feet, was
last week counted, amounted to 1321, being on an average,
24 to the square foot !—lllontrose Standard.
"SUCCESSION OF THE FRENCH CROWN.—It is a remark-
able historical fact that for the last two centuries (that is
since the accession of Louis.XlV. in 1G43), no French king
has transmitted his crown to his son. Louis XIV. and Louis
XV. were succeeded by their grandsons, and since the death
of Louis XVI. it is well known no son has succeeded his
father on the throne of France."
TwEEDSIDE DISTRICT.--NORTIAM.—The crops in this
neighbourhood have rallied to an astonishing degree since
the showery weather commenced. Oats and barley, which
it was formerly considered, would scarcely cut, are now look-
ing well. Turnips and potatoes have a promising appearance,
especially the former, which must be an abundant crop.
Several patches of hay have been cut, but it is uncommonly
light and free of cloven—Berwick Ward.
A SECRET FOR A FARMER'S «FlFE.—While the milking
of your cows is going on, let your pans be placed in a kettle
of boiling water. Strain the milk into one of the pans,
taken hot from the kettle, and cover the same with another
of the hot pans, and proceed in like manner with the whole
mess of milk, and you will find that you will have double the
quantity of good rich cream, and get double the quantity of
sweet and delicious butter. Try it.
THE " ROE " OF THE BARBEL.—During the present and
the ensuing month the above fish is in high perfection,
and it is customary for little parties to enjoy a day's ex-
cusion in angling for barbel. As it for the most part hap-
pens that the sportsman is prone to participate in the fruits
of his capture, after it is served up to table, it may be as
well that he should he timely warned against eating of the
" roe" of the fish in question, as the same is invariably at-
tended with the most painful and alarming results, it pro-
ducing violent retching, accompanied by "diarrhoea,' and
other choleric symptoms. Not a summer passes by but the
above malady is experienced by anglers and others, ignorant
of the pernicious properties pertaining to the " roe,' of the
barbel; and the above fact cannot be too generally known,
that its ill effects may be avoided. As soon,as the vomiting
has ceased, castor oil and brandy have been found to afford
considerable relief, when medical attendance has not been at
hand.

ACCEPTING THE CHILTeRN HUNDREDS.—Persons un-
acquainted with the constitution of parliament are often at a
loss to understand what is meant by having accepted the
stewardship of the chiltern hundreds, when they read in the
newspaper reports of the parliamentary debates that a mem-
ber has vacated his seat by the acceptance of that office. It
may not be amiss, therefore, to state that by the law of par-
liament no member of the House of Commons can volunta-
rily resign his seat ; but there is a statute in force which
expressly enacts that no office having emolument attached can
be conferred by the crown upon a member of the House of
Commons without thereby vacating his seat. This, then,
being the only mode by which a gentleman can rid himself
of the duties of a representative during the continuance of
parliament of which he may have been elected a member,
those who are desirous of resigning are under the necessity
of applying to the crown to appoint them to some salaried
office of small note, in order that they may be enabled to re-
tire into private life Now it does happen that there is a
ridge of chalk hill which traverses Buckinghamshire a little
to the south of its centre, reaching from Tring, in Hertford-
shire, to Henley-upon-Thames, in Oxfordshire, which is di-
vided into the three hundreds of Desborough, Stoke, and
Burnham ; and, from the chalky nature of the soil, they take
the name of "the chiltern hundreds." The jurisdiction of
the hundreds into which many of the counties were divided
by King Alfred was originally invested in peculiar courts
but afterwards devolved to the county courts, in which it
still remains with the exception of some, as the Chiltern
Hundreds, which by privilege have been annexed to the
crown. The Sovereign, therefore, has the power of ap-
pointing the Steward of those Hundreds, and as the salary
is twenty shillings yearly and all fees, the acceptance of the
Stewardship is sufficient to vacate a seat in parliament. It
has consequently become a matter of course for a member
who is desirous of abdicating his seat, to apply to the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer to be appointed to the Stewardship,
which is granted as a matter of course, and as soon as the
appointment has answered his purpose by vacating his seat,
the ex-member resigns the Stewardship. There is no obli-
gation on the crown to confer this appointment, but it is a
convenient usage, and on that account maintained.
POPISH CONTRIVANCE.--It was asserted last week in
the House of Commons by Mr. O'Connell, that a man and
his- family at Tuam, had been five days without food. The
following is the report of the stipendiary magistrate at Tuam,
of the circumstances under which the tale originated. " I
must sav that the reports I have seen in the public papers,
of the distress in this county, are greatly exaggerated, and
I am aware of strange steps having been taken to strengthen
or warrant those reports. One that occurred here on yes-
terday I shall mention. A man who is clerk at a Roman
Catholic chapel here came to me, and said that he had been
sent by Archbishop Mactlale to request I would take the
affidavit of a man who was with him as to the state of dis-
tress and want that he and his family were in, and that on
his making the affidavit Dr. Macliale would afford them
relief. On questioning the man, he said that he and his
family were five days without a morsel of food. I said that
such could not be the case, as there was a most plentiful
supply given to every one that came to ask for it. The clerk
pressed me to take the affidavit, which I did, on which the
clerk said at once, come off now to the printer until I get
this inserted in this day's paper.' I asked him for what
purpose. Oh.' says he, ' the bishop desired me to have it
inserted ; that he had a reason for it.' In some time after
Mr, Kelly, the printer, came to me and asked if the man
had sworn such an affidavit. I said he had. Mr. Kelly
said that he knew the affidavit was false, and that he had
called on Archbishop Mac Hale, and told him so, and that
what the bishop said was, True or not I wish you to insert
it, as I have a purpose in it.' Of course it has appeared in
yesterday's paper. I beg to say that this is one of the many
ways that are resorted to for the purpose of showing the
country toibeEin a state of greater destitution than it ac-
tually

Tile Ilui ir.s'6lA SrAnteAsg.—Scarcely was the dance
concitidid, when a general movement was perceptible to-
words fhe door, and the word " supper " repeated from
voice to voice, announced that the merriest hour in Irish,
life had sounded. Delighted to have Miss Bellew for
my companion, I edged my way into the mass, and was
borne along on the current. The view from the top of
the -staircase was sufficiently amusing : a waving mass of
feathers of every shape and fine, s crowd of spangled, tur-
bans, bald and powdered heads, seemed wedged mextircably
together, swaying backwards and forwards-. with one im-
pulse, as the crowd 'at the door of the supper-room ad-
vanced or receded. The crash of plates and knives, the
jingling of glasses, the popping of champagne corks, told that
the attack had begun, had not even the eager faces of those
nearer the door indicated as much. Mali Oculi retrorsum
seemed the motto of the day, save when some anxions mo-
ther would turn a backward and uneasy glance towards
the staircase, where her daughter, preferring a lieute-
nant to a lobster, was listening with elated look to his
tale of love and glory. " Eliza, my dear, sit next me."
" Anna, my love, come down here." These brief com-
mands, significantly as they were uttered, -would be lost
to those for whom intendsd, and only serve to amuse
the by-standers, and awaken them to a quicker perception
of the passing flirtation. Some philosopher has gravely
remarked, that the critical moments of our life are the
transitions from • one stage or state of our existence to
another ; and that our fate for the future depends in a great
measure upon those hours in which we emerge from infancy
to boyhood, from boyhood to manhood, from manhood to
maturer years. Perhaps the arguments of time might be
applied to place, and we might thins be enabled to show how
a staircase is the most dsngerous portion of a building ; 1
speak not here of the insecurity of the architecture, nor.
indeed, of any staircase whose well-tempered light shines
down at noon-day through the perfumed foliage of a conser.
vatory ; but of the same place, a blaze of lamp-light, about
two in the morning, crowded, crammed, and creaking by an
anxious and elated throng pressing towards a supper-room.
Whether it is the supper or the sqeeze, the odour of balmy
lips, or the savoury smell of roast-ducks—whether it be the
approach to silk tresses, or sillery mousseux—whatever the
provocation, I cannot explain it ; but the fact is so : one is
tremendously given in such a place, at such a time, to the
most barefaced and palpable flirtation. co strongly do I feel
this point, that, were I a law-giver, I would never award
damages for a breach of contract, where the promise was
made on a staircase.—Jack Hinton, by Harry Lorrequer.

e"itnag;itnaalrde
expense,
first
rnos
one
THE MINT AND ITS OPERATIONS. —The new edifice
about a quarter of a million of money. This immense sum,
upon Tower Hill was completed about 18t1h1
Boulton's expensive machinery.
ni sy
vka.dedi ;Idl t s t o a pound
In the
hproewsee‘n'etr,initnecrleusdteiedgproces
s of coining,
pmaerltteind itnwpelovtes ,; wthoesniltrileera,leloigyhotfeectoipipleenr
weight), and the mixed metal cast into small bars. And now
begin the operations of the stupendous machinery, which is
unequalled in the mint of any other country, and is in every
way a triumph of mechanical' skill. The bars, in a heated
state, are first passed through the breaking down rollers,
which, by their tremendous crushing pow ei.,.
only to one-third their former thicknessredUce them
9 and increage them
proyortionally in their length. They fir
through the cold rollers, which bring theme now passed
thickness of the coin required, when the lastnea operation
of this nature is performed by the brawbrenchamachine
rly-to the
peculiar to our Mint, and which secures an extraordinary
degree of accuracy and uniformity in the surface of
the metal, and leaves it of the exact ' thickness
desired. The cutting out machines now begin' their
work. There are twelve of these engines in the
elegant room set apart for them, all mounted on the same
basement, and forming a circular range. Here the bars or
strips are cut into pieces of the proper shape and weight for
the coining-press, and then taken to the sizing-roomto
be separately weighed, as well as sounded on a circular.i s
piece of iron, to detect any flaws. The protecting m
nafter
next raised in the marking-room, and the pieces,
The
blonching and annealing, are ready for stamping.ti h olumns
coining-room is a magnificent looking place, with
along the
and its great iron beams, and the presses ranging
each of them
solid stone basement. There are C
riglt
evenP more) strokes in a
making, when required, 60 or 70
( blank is made a perfect
minute •, and as at each stroke :,
0 both sides and milled
coin—that is to say, stamped oil
between four and five thou-
at the edge—each press
will"'or the whole eight between
sand pieces within the hour,.And to accompany these mighty
thirty and forty thousand.
results the attention of
little boy alone is required, who
stands in a sunken place one
bfore the press, supplying it with
._.
blanks.—Knight's ionaon .

LIVERPOOL INFIRMARY REPORT, JULY 1c;

AD.NIITTF.II

ntti
IRieaatiiiel e. house , ...
reqOut-pallents •.
**********
DIS.C.II.A.R.OED I
' ****
Madeoa-TMicas.". Casuals during the last*
wee..
RelievedDlne
.ena.tn.s,:t cured: .n..
5...
t.
3073
Irregular **
** •

Mr. Forshaw and Mr. Dawson,
... Rev. R. Davies.
Magg;bland W. Carson, Esqrs.
, Mr. Burgess.
House Surgeon . ...... Mr. Brandreth,
E. W• JACKSON, Treasurer
Consulting
House CVAhBi sapnripot le:ahrei:en,n.caTs y

NORTHERN HOSPITAL, JU6
[WEEKLY REPORT.]

ADBIITTEDt

Accidents. .............
Medical and Stuvical cases
Upon recommendation ....

i 0 I Cared

............ 46
Remadningin th