The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-09-05 00:00:00

special commit

,ee has now under consideration a s

interrogatories drawn up by the Royal Commissioners

it will be expedient thit any and what alterations shall be
made in the mercantile laws of the united kingdom in

respects in which the laws of Scotland di

those of England and Ireland, in
assimilated ;" the Merchant Shipping Bill ; the coasti
trade, advocating its being opened to ships of all nations

ind thus removing the last restriction on free navigation
etters of marque, stating that a memorial on this subjecl
'ded to the Privy Council against the

lad been for

letters of marque

privateering

.ommis-

sions, and praying that other nations should he solicited
to adopt the same course ; Sound dues, with respect to

which 0.
priv

document stated, that " it beii

reported that

eges have been granted to American ships in exempt
rig them from these dues in certain cases, the committee
of the Council is now obtaining information on this point,
with the view, if the report prove correct, to obtain their
extens'on to the EnFlish flag, as an instalment to the
entire abolition of this heavy tax on commc

survey certificates, with respect to which an
opinion was advanced that still further improvements
were required; and local dock extension and improve-
ment, with respect to which a report had been presented
by the Council, but had been withheld from the general
meeting_ in consequence of the short period they had to
discuss the question, and because the Council were anxious

not to give publicity to a hasty decision upon a question
of such importance. On the motion of Mr. T. B. Horsfall,
M.P., the report was unanimously approved of. Mr. B.
Hall suggested that the attention of the Council should
be directed towards the scheme for extending the docks,
brought forward by the special committee of the Dock
Commissioners. The suggestion was agreed to, on the

understanding that the Council report to the Chamber as
early as possible. Thanks were then voted to the members
of Parliament for the borough, and for the.southern divi-
sion of Lancashire, for their unwearied attention to the
interests of the port, after which the meeting separated.

SERVING A WRIT IN A CHIIRCII.-011 Saturday, a
man was interring the remains of his child at St. Peter's
church, in this town, and during the service, a bailiff of
the county court came to the pew occupied by the parents,
and attempted to serve the man with a county court sum-
mons, at the suit of a well-known Scotchman in this town.
This caused some little stir, and in the hurry the bailiff
served the wrong man. On Monday, at the county court,
on the case being called upon, the bailiff was asked how
he served the summons ? The bailiff : " Personally."
The wife of defendant stated that the process was not
served personally upon her husband, but upon a man in
court. The person alluded to stated that the officer served
the summons upon him in St. Peter's church, during the
time the minister was reading the service for the dead
over the child of the real party. The Judge said, "It was
neither a fit time nor place to serve a summons," and dis-
missed the application to commit the man to prison.—
Blackburn Standard.
REPRESENTATION OP WlGAN.—There is little to report
in reference to the election of a gentleman to supply
the vacancy in the representation of Wigan, caused by
the death of Mr. Thicknesse. Mr. Henry Woods, who
has been named as a candidate of the liberal party, is still
from home, but is expected. No committee has been
formed to promote his election, nor has any dispatch
or letter from him been made public. The friends of Mr.
Acton, mayor, also a liberal, are busily engaged in ob-
taining signatures to a requisition calling upon him to be
a candidate. Mr. Acton appears to be the greatest favourite
with the liberals, and his friends express a hope that when
Mr. Wood arrives in town and ascertains the state of
feeling, he will be induced to withdraw. Should he do
so, there appears every probability of an uncontested
election ; but if not Mr. Francis Sharpe Powell, of Belling-
ham Lodge, may stand again on the Conservative in-
terest. In pursuance of the provisions of " The Corrupt
Practices Prevention Act, 1854," the Mayor has given
public notice that he has appointed Mr. Wm. Alexander
Barrow to be auditor of election expenses, " to act at any
election or elections of any member or members to serve
in parliament for the borough of Wigan, for and during
the year now next ensuing, and until another appoint-
ment of election auditor shall be made."—Mancheeter
Courier.