The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-29 00:00:00

NEW CORN LAW AND CORN NIARkETS

The new Corn Law, which was passed in the last session
'of parliament, in addition to the alteration in the scale of
-duties which were to be levied on the admission of foreign
giain, also effected a change in the number of places in Eng-
land which were to make the returns from which the average
price was to he taken. Formerly, under the old act, the
number of towns rendering these returns was 150, which. by
the new act, was increased to 290. It is a matter of some
interest to ascertain in what manner the addition of these 140
new markets-has influenced the averages of corn, and by that
means altered the scale of duties on the admission of foreign
grain. For the solution of this question the following calcu-
lations have been made ;—Taking one of the recent returns
(Gazette, October 28), it will be found that the total quan-
tity of wheat received in the week ending the 22nd October,
in all the 290 towns, was 32,077 quarters, which was sold at
an average price of 50s. 9'465d. per quarter; and this is the
price which is inserted in the list to form the average of six
weeks, to regulate the duty on foreign wheat. Now, if the
returns from the 140 new places are selected from the Gazette,
the total quantity of wheat sold in them is 23,828 qrs. 2 bush.,
and the price paid £61,637 17s. 9d., giving an average of
51s. 9d. per quarter nearly, which is higher than the total
average of all the 290 places making the returns. But as the
quantity of wheat sold in these 140 new markets is very
small in proportion to the whole of the returns, being little
more than one-fourth of the total amount, the following cal-
culation must be made to ascertain what would have been the
average under the old system, and supposing these fresh
places had not been added :
_

-
Quarters. Value.
Total as by the Gazette, 92,077 at 535. 9.565 d. £233,823 15 9
140 New Places 23,328 at 51s. 9d. 61,637 17 9

150 Old Places..

... 68,249

£172,185 11 0

This gives an average of 50s. 54d. per quarter, and which
would have been the return for the week in question, had no
alteration been made in the number of places contributing to
the averages. It appears, therefore, iu this instance, that
although the change in the number of places is theoretically
in favour of the importer and consumer of foreign wheat, yet
that the difference is aery small, and in one week is not suf-
ficient to make an alteration in the duty. But, on general
principles, it does not seem reasonable to suppose that this
will be the result usually obtained by the introduction of the
140 new places into the averages. The former 150 towns
comprise all those which can fairly be considered either as
importing markets or large marts for the article; and all the
additional places are equally removed from the influence of
competition with foreign corn, and the demand occasioned
by large bodies of consumers. The transactions of the last
few weeks have certainly had a tendency to lower the price
of English wheat in all the large markets, where foreign grain
was consequently being offered for sale against it at conside-
rably lowering terms. This effect could not be produced in
the smaller inland places, and hence the price of wheat has
been better maintained in the latter towns than in the re-
gular marts for the article. But in times of little or no
foreign importation into the large markets, it is probable that
the effect will be completely reversed, and that in the smaller
places, remote from external outlet for their produce, the
price will generally rule lower than in the principal markets
nearer to places of large consumption.

THE LEAGUE.—A grand field-day was announced by the
League for Tuesday last. Accordingly an entirely new set
of actors was engaged for the occasion. Names which have
rarely figured before at similar gatherings took conspicuous
parts, and the whole affair was got up with much pains and
due attention to decorum. Whether, however, we are to
attribute the fact to the damper thrown on all political agi-
tation by the cheering news from China, or to any other
cause more immediately affecting the popularity of the
League, and its relations to the Government, it is certain
that the attendance was thin, and the proceedings charac-
terised by a degree of sobriety and moderation verging on
dullness. Mr. Robert Hyde Greg, the chairman, made a
forcible speech in favour of a moderate fixed duty!—and no
speaker, to judge from the report, reprobated or repudiated
a doctrine heretofore so vehemently denounced by the zealots
of the League. Manchester Chroniele.

CONSISTENCY OF THE LEAGUE.—At at meeting of the
league in Liverpool, on Friday last, Mr. Cobden told his
gaping auditors that if the corn laws were repealed," the
rent of the agricultural land in the country would be higher
than it ever has been, and higher than it ever can be without
free trade." So that, despite the whig-radical journals, this
is not a landlords' question in the sense in which thay use
the expression. But how does Mr. Cobden intend to in-
crease rents? By using the screw to the farmers! He
says, "we are forced in our manufacturers. You are forced
in your ship-building. We are forced to improve by the
force of competition. Why not apply the same force to the
farmers 7" This, we think, is pretty' expressive as to the
intention of the league. When the hired " intellect " of
Acland was employed amongst the Cleveland tenantry, he ex-
alted the farmers, and endeavoured to depress the landlords.
Cobden, the employer of Acland, tells the people of Liver-
pool, that free trade will increase the rents of the landlords,
and injure the farmers. Which of the worthies are we to
believe? Neither. They are both looking after own selfish
interests, and care- not one rush for landlord, farmer, or
labourer. They each seek their own aggrandizement—the
one by the increase of his manufacturing profits—the other
by hiring out his " intellect " to the highest bidder.—
Durham Advertiser.
SALE OF FOREIGN CATTLE.—WC noticed, last week, the
importation of a lot of Dutch cattle by Messrs. Nicol and
Munro. Last afternoon ten of these animals were exposed
for sale by public auction on Provost Blaikie's quay, and
brought the following prices :—Three cows, which lately
calved, with the calves along with them, were struck out at
£lO 25., £lO ls., and £ll 14s. respectively. Three cows,
to calve in December next, at £B, £8 45., and £8 respectively.
Two queys at £5 and £8 respectively ; and a pair of three-
year-old oxen at £2O. The cattle looked excellent. They
are of a pretty large size, but of good make, somewhat lean;
but, when subjected to this country's feeding, will, no doubt,
soon make up. As people were on their way to the sale,
attention was attracted by a bustle on the quay. On ap-
proaching the place, it was found that a second importation
bad newly arrived in a vessel from Norway; and consisted of
about forty animals. It would, perhaps, he presumption to
say that some of the farmers looked somewhat glum; yet
how should they ? it is all the doings of their old friends.
Some of them, however, assumed a brighter aspect, and were
congratulating their neighbours with the consolation, " We'll
get cheap farms ere lang, man; the rents maun come dour."
—Aberdeen Banner.
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT IN A PAPER-MILL.--A most shock-
ing fatility occurred on Wednesday at the paper manufactory
of Mrs. Mary Crompton, situate at Collyhurst, Manchester.
The sufferers on this melancholy occasion were a woman
named Eliza Jackson, 28 years of age, house-servant to Mrs.
Crompton, who was killed on the spot, her body being liter-
ally torn is pieces, and Mrs. Crompton, herself, who lost
her left arm. The occurrence most painfully exemplified the
great danger of fly-wheels, cog-wheels, and other portions of
revolving machinery being left exposed, so that the dress of
persons passing may get entangled. A good deal of evidence
was given at the inquest respecting the occurrence, and the
jury returned a verdict " that the deceased died from lacera-
tions and fractures accidentally received from a cog-wheel,"
stating that had it not been for the injuries received by Mrs.
Crompton, who had lost an arm, and was in other respects
very much injured, in trying to extricate the deceased, they
should have imposed a very heavy deodand on the machinery,
owing to the extremely dangerous and unprotected state in
which it had been suffered to remain, but for which the de-
ceased might have been still alive • but they considered the
injuries Mrs. Crompton had suffered already sufficient for her
to bear.

THE LATE MURDER AT STANLEY, DERBYSHIRE.—
Within the last week very important evidence has been ob-
tained respecting the murder of Miss Goddard, at Stanley,
in this county, It seems to go very far towards fixing upon
the parties, particularly. Holmes, the sweep, now in our coun-
ty gaol, the crime with which they are charged, and for
which they will be tried at the ensuing spring assizes. It ap-
pears that for a period of about three weeks previously to the
commission of the murder, Holmes, one of the alleged mur-
derers, had in his employ a lad of about 18 years of age, na-
med Richard Droufield, commonly called among his compa-
nions " Dick the Sweep." This lad states he was with
Holmes at Heage, at the time of the murder, and was privy
o a conversation between the three men, Holmes, Bonsall,
and Bland, which, if true, places beyond doubt their guilt ;
and he also speaks to their arming themselves with staves,
and to Holmes taking a knife with him, having whetted it for
the purpose, on the evening on which the murder was com-
mitted, as well as to their burning the staves when done with.
It appears that, after the murder, the clothes stolen from the
Misses Goddard were divided amongst the murderers, and
the lad stated that Bossall secreted his share in a garden, and
that Holmes hid his in a sough near to Ambergate. The
sough, which was pointed out, has been searched, and several
shawls and gowns belonging to Miss Goddard were found as
described by the lad. Most of these have been clearly iden-
tified by parties residing in Stanley and the neighbourhood.
Dronfield is now with Mr. Potter, of the Hill-top, who bas
clothed him, and will give him employment until the assizes.
It is needless to say that Dronfield stands perfectly clear of
the least participation M the murder. All he knows of it was
obtained in consequence of his being in Holmes's employ, and
his overhearing the conversations of the alleged murderers,
Derby Mercury.

A Mon ERN " SIDROPIIEL."—On Friday, at the Man-
chester Borough Court, a man named James Bradshaw was
brought before Mr. Maude, charged with imposing upon
ignorant persons by pretending to tell their fortunes. Mr.
Beswick, chief superintendent of police, stated that in con-
sequence of information which he had received, to the effect
that the prisoner was issuing bills and cards in the town and
neighbourhood, wherein he pretended to the extraordinary
power of predicting future events, he (Mr. B.) went on
Thursady night, accompanied by Inspector M`Mullin, to the
house occupied by the prisoner, No. 1, Hawthorn-place, St.
Andrew's-street, Travis-street. They got there between
seven and eight o'clock in the evening, and on entering the
house, found the prisoner seated in the front parlour, in the
act of telling a man's fortune. He did,not recognize the
officers, and they accordingly sat down, and listened to what
was going on. It appeared that the man whom they had found
in company with the prisoner, had gone to obtain his assist-
ance to find a ring which he supposed to be stolen. The
astrologer informed him that it was, stolen, but that he durst
not tell him who was the party that had stolen it ;- but that if
he took out a search warrant against the person whom he
suspected, he would no doubt find the ring, as his suspicions
rested on the right party. As a reason for not naming the
individual, the prisoner alleged that if it came out in court,
on the thief being tried, froms_ whom
himhom the prosecutor obtained
subject the information, it would ___
(the prophet) to three
months' imprisonment. Theman, apparently.. satisfied with
this information,
paid the soothsayer
ins charge of sixpence,
and withdrew. Mr. Beswick _then.entered into conversation
with him, and pointing to M, Mani. stated that that was a
friend of his who bad been unfortunateprospeienbufosir hnetsse ataidmewho
wanted to know what were his
to
come. The prisoner inquired of prospects
M`Mullin the time and
.
place of his birth, then looked over several books, and after
tle
figuring for some time on a slate, s
been born under a very bad planet,aid that the gentleman had
but that he thought he
!
would recover, at he was getting near_eitoJ He talked
n
Jupiter
in this way for some time, and on b
said it was a shilling. Mr. Beswick then gasked his charge,
asked him for a few
of his cards and bills, as they might be useful to distribute
to his friend ; and the prisoner gave him some.
Jas. Bradshaw,
follow-
ing are copies of the cards and circulars : e.The
professor of astrology, and the sublime influence of the
heavenly bodies. Whereby all accidents in the life of an in-
dividual may be foretold, if the correct time of birth can be
obtained, and any lawful question may be answered, where
the time of birth cannot be obtained. N.B.—lnformation
on the above sciences may be obtained on reasonable terms.
No. 1, Hawthorn-place, St. Andrew's-street, near St. An-
drew's Church, Travis-street, Manchester." " Nativities
mathematically calculated by James Bradshaw, professor of
prognostic astrology, No. 1, Hawthorn-place, St. Andrew-
street, near St. Andrew's Church, Travis-street, Manchester.
J. B. will philosophically demo,istrate from the positions and
configurations of the planets, at the time of birth, the in-
fluence each configuration geometrically formed will have
upon the fortunes, conduct, and health, of the individual ;
among which marriage is considered the first among females;
trades and professions, with males,--bent and quality of the
mind with both. N.B.—Horary questions may be asked at
any time and on all subjects, such as marriage, deaths, births,
when to commence or to decli one business, &c., when get em-
ployment, and when loose it. On the house, which is oc-
cupied by the prisoner, being searched, a number of books of
different descriptions, some on astrology, and two globes,
were found. These facts being proved in evidence, he was
committed fora month to hard labour at the New

THE CHURCH OP ENGLAND AND THE

DI SSENTERS.

`There is usually not a little talk and boasting among the
dissenters of the present day, respecting their great anxiety
and efforts for educating the poorer classes; with the accom-
panying assertion of course, that, as to the national church
and the clergy of that church, they would impede the course
of education as much as they are able. Now it is always
well to bring dissenting statements to the test of actual facts,
when it can be done, not only for the truth's sake, but with
the view, if possible, of shaming the dissenters themselves
into more reputable conduct towards the church. Accord-
ingly, we furnish the public with a summary of the returns
for all the English counties, taken from the parliamentary
documents, printed by order of the House of Commons and
we now submit our account to their impartial notice. It is
as follows : _ _ _

_
Total of Children Portion of the pre-
Counties. under daily in- ceding in Schools
struction. established by
Dissenters.
Bedford .... 6,632....
Berks
Buckingham
Cambridge
Chester........
Cornwall
Cumberland 21,531
Derby
Devon
Dorset
Durham
Essex 32,977..
Gloucester

Hereford
HertfordB,, 815.
14,752....
Huntingdon 5,805....
Kent 53,321
Lancaster 97,534 9,284
Leicester
Lincoln..
_ _

Middlesex --
101;220. 9,747
Monmouth
Norfolk 35,128..
Northampton ...... ..... 18,295..
Northumberland 24,582
Nottingham
Oxford 15,939
Rutland
Salop 19,179....
Somerset ..
Southampton
Stafford 35,710 2,079
Suffolk
Surrey
Sussex
Warwick ,
Westmoreland 7,256 795
Wilts. 20,375..
Worcester
York, East Riding 20,406 257
City and Ainsty .. 4,324 555
North Riding .... 22,825
West Riding

Total 1,222'137 48,470
Out of nearly one million and a quarter of children receiv-
ing daily instruction, less than
fifty thousand are supplied
with schools by the dissenters! Not a twenty-fifth part of
the whole owes anything to them ! These are the stubborn
facts : let the dissenters say what they will.—Cambridge
Chronicle.

ENGLISH UNIVERSITIES

(From the John Bull.)

In Mr. Dickens's recent publication, American Notes for
General Circulation, we find the following passage, in which
the American University of Cambridge is very highly praised,
and, by inference and suggested contrast, our own universi-
ties proportionably condemned :
" There is no doubt that much of the intellectual refine-
ment and superiority of Boston is referable to the quiet
influence of the University of Cambridge, which is within
three or four miles of the city. The resident professors at
that university are gentlemen of learning and varied attain-
ments ; and are, without one exception that I can call to
mind, men who would shed a grace upon and do honour to
any society in the civilized world. Many of the resident
gentry in Boston and its neighbourhood, and I think I am
not mistaken in adding a large majority of those who are
attached to the liberal professions there, have been educated
at this same school. Whatever the defects of American
universities may be, they disseminate no prejudices, rear no
bigots, dig up the buried ashes of no old superstitions, never
interpose between the people and their improvement, exclude
no man because of his religious opinions; above all, in their
whole course of study and instruction, recognise a world,
and a broad one too, lying beyond the college walls."
We do not mean to quarrel with the commendations be-
stowed by Mr,. Dickens on this American institution. It is
probably as good a school as the country is capable of main-
taining ; but as to its fame, it has not in any great force as
yet crossed the Atlantic (we only know one distinguished
person cDnnected with it, Judge Storey;) nor does Air.
Dickens think proper to give us any information with respect
to particulars or individuals which might serve to enlarge
our appreciation of the merits of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
For the rest, we do not think the very amusing author of
" Pickwick" is exactly the visitor one would select to report
upon the system of education at a university, or tbe learning
and attainments of its professors. We dare say Mr. Dicken,
ascertained that these gentlemen were good Pickwickians,
but as for the learning and attainments, we apprehend hr
was obliged to take them upon trust.
At least it must be so, if we are correct in believing that
to judge of scholarly acquirements in literature and science
one would require to be himself imbued with some small
tincture of learning, which deep, and long, and regular study
alone can give, and which, it is evident, from all Mr.
Dickens's works, it was not his lot to acquire. But we pass
on to his very obvious and preposterously bitter attack upon
the universities of his own country. It is an extraordinary
thing that, notwithstanding the splendid array of men of
learning and genius the universities send forth every year, to
fill the highest ranks in every profession or vocation, learned
and honourable, no " puny whipster" who bas contrived to
make a noise in the world—often great, in proportion to the
emptiness of the vessel from which it proceeds—can refrain
from assaulting those seats of learning, those benign mothers
of mightiest men. Year after year is the offence committed.
And these assailants, writing, as they do, in utter ignorance
of the universities and all belonging to them, are suffered to
swell the vulgar clamour which prevails amongst the un-
educated, without reply or reprobation. The fact is, the
children of the universities will not condescend to reply to
those attacks, at which every gentleman and scholar in the
community cries " Pshaw ! " Perhaps, too, it is better thus.
But there is something so racy in Mr. Dickens's flood of
philosophic eloquence above cited, that we really must throw
away a word or two on it. In the first place, the utter mis-
conception of the nature and objects of a university, as we
English understand it, is abundantly ludicrous. Our uni-
versities do not profess to breed stockbrokers, or money-
jobbers, or the like "calculating cattle." There is no talk
of cents, no class for instruction in the mode of winning
them. Our boast is that our universities are not at all con-
nected with the " world worldly," or its sordid pursuits.
There it is, that after a man has passed through the pains of
childish years, and derived from his school-boy labours
enough to enable him to present himself as an intellectual
recipient of knowledge, he goes to prepare himself for the
struggles of the world as an aspirant should do for initiation
in the ancient mysteries. In the sacred seat of learning
there is presumed, so far as all sordid, common-place—
" common sense" if you will, and as snobs apply the phrase
—common-sense feeling is concerned, to be an utter ab-
straction from the world ; "no public and no private care "
is to weigh upon the student, who has only to educate his
mind by the discipline of the exact sciences, and to make
it " richly dight ' with the memories of the sacred past.
He is not "in the race" for anything; he is only training
to take a lead upon any course whereon an honourable am-
bition may in after days incite him to attend. And in the
beautiful lore then acquired he is providing for himself that
consolation in retreat from the turmoils of public life whereof
Cicero most grandly speaks, and which William Pitt and
Lord Wellesley found. Pitt—Wellesley ! There was some-
thing very beautiful in the recurrence of one whose name is
well known in the east, " from which," as Napoleon says,
" all great reputations come," as that of the mightiest bar-
baric conquerors, to his early studies, as the boy of Eton and
the youth of Oxford. Beautiful, too, to find him in his old
age coming forward to refute a slanderer (one Wraxhall) in
his ignorant assault upon the scholarship of William Pitt,
and showing that the favourite studies of the great statesman
and orator's decline were those which inspired his rise in life
—Demosthenes and the rest of the illustrious orators of
Greece.

With respect to the sounding charges made by Mr. Dickens
against our universities, of disseminating prejudices, rearing
bigots, and digging up old superstitions, and the like, we be-
lieve, in point of fact, that it amounts to this—religion is
made the basis of education in the English universities, and
radicalism is not admired ; the reverse being the case in the
American institution, whose praises Mr. Dickens so delights
to promulgate.

CASE OF CUTTING A FEMALE WITH A KNIFE.—A young
woman named Mary Fairweather was, yesterday, charged at
the police-court with having assaulted a Mrs. Edwards, and
wounded her severely in the head with a knife. The prisoner,
it appeared, called at the complainant's house on Saturday
night; a quarrel ensued, and the prisoner took up a knife
and inflicted a large wound on the head of the complainant,
just above the right temple. The prisoner stated that the
complainant had first assaulted her and torn her dress. She
denied havintused the knife at all. The prisoner was re-
quired to pay a fine of £5, or be imprisoned for two months ;
also to find bail to keep the peace.
CHURCH ARRANGEMENTS.—On Sunday last being the
first Sunday in the Ecclesistical year, the Rev. J. H. Staf-
ford, minister of St. Paul's Church, in this town, according
to previous announcement, made several alterations in the
mode of conducting public worship in that church. No
psalm was sung, as has heretofore been the case, before the
commencement of the service, but an anthem was sung after
the third collect. A " Sanctus" was sung whilst the minister
passed from the reading desk to the communion table ; and
there was no psalm or hymn between the Nicene Creed and
the sermon. but the clergyman proceeded at once from the
communion table to the pulpit. After the sermon in the
morning, the minister returned to the Lord's table, and,
after repeating one or two sentences of the offertory, said the
prayer for the church militant, and concluded with one of
the appointed collects, and the usual blessing On Sundays,
when the holy communion is administered, alms will be col-
lected from the whole congregation. We believe the same
order was observed in St. Stephen's Church.
THE ANTI-CORN LAW LEAGUE,—This august body con-
tinues its weekly meetings, and, judging from the lengthy
reports in some of the London papers, the general reader
would be led to believe that its importance was daily in-
creasing. Such, however, is not the case : the meetings are
not characterized by any new feature ; the same gentlemen
who have all along kept up the agitation are the only speakers
on these occasions; no means are left untried to give them
an importance that neither does nor never did belong to
them. The elaborate reports which appear in the London
Papers are regularly paid for from the funds of the asso-
ciation ; and every now and then a new bait is held out in
order to collect numerous companies, including a number of
females who belonganypretensions
to a certain class which excludes them
to the definition given of the " guid"
housewives sof Scotland
, who are " woo'd an' married an'
a'." On Tuesday
" last, at the meeting in the Town-hall,
Friend Bright',
the meeting on Thununeed, as an inducement to attend
a proselyte r ayfrnoigmh
thet, thatthe
conservativecom pibmoyd
ywoofui‘l di a
nbe.
addressed by
Man-
chester; ; but on the occasion referred to this newly-acquired
disciple was not forthcoming, nor any explanationo "Friend
for hiss non-attendance. So much
Brights" annomicernent.—Manchester
veracity f
Chronicle.—[We
had heard of the statement which, is in italics before. We
believe the fact to be that the leiagu London
te an.d in the
subscribes largely
to anti-corn law journals both n
country„ but more especially Manches
many hundrerd; n some
le
cases taking and distributing
and weekly. Thus not only does
the " talkopoiefs
aiy
anti-
corn-law meetings proceed almost everywhere from the
same
body of leaguers, but the furious anti-core.iaw declamations
of most journals are stimulated and paid for by the league.—
ED. Morning Herald.]--[The same tactics, we are credibly
informed, were practised with respect to the recent meeting
at the amphitheatre in this town, a member of the body upon
the platform having, during the delivery of one of the speeches,
requested, from a gentleman connected with a radical journal,
who was seated at the reporters table, that a full report
should be furnished, and intimated that, if required, it would
be paid for.—En. L.S.]