The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-04-15 00:00:00

MESMERISM IN LIVERPOOL

[The following communication *is from the pen of a pro-
fessional gentleman in this town, whose name, if we were at
liberty to give it, would give much additional weight to his
statements.]
Why Liverpool should be more than ordinarily selected as
a place well calculated to receive the impression of mesmeric
experiments and cataleptic effects, does not appear very evi-
dent, unless it can be from powerful effects well known to
have been so successfully practised by Miss M'Avoy, whose
case and actions afforded ample matter for the ingenuity of
theoretical controversy and miraculous deeds, seized with
avidity by the credulous. Those, however, who are old
enough, of which I am one, who have been favoured with
the personal knowledge and professional intercourse and the
opinion of Dr. Henderson and Mr. Lawrence, both of Lon-
don, immediately after their detection of the Tutbury fasting
woman, and, still more remote, of the fallacy of the metallic
tractors, by that accomplished physician, the late Dr. Hay-
garth, of Chester,—will not be fascinated by every novelty
which the obscure practice of physic unfortunately affords.
It is, however, quite impossible not to be more or less roused
into reason and reflection, when surrounded by the effects
such theories and experiments have upon the public and the
junior part of the profession, the latter of whom can have no
other object than the investigation and the elucidation of
truth ; but until this can be effected by proper persons and
in a scientific manlier, it is the height of imprudence to ha-
zard any opinion upon the subject. Whether this will be
done in Liverpool, remains to be, proved. Be this as it may,
medical profession are all.well acquainted with the false
enthusiasm with which one of the most talented men of our
day (Dr. Elliotson, of London,) was led away by the vaga-
ries of the Okeys, until detected and exposed by Mr. Wak-
ley, Dr. Green, and others; and I must say that 1 somewhat
regret that so gifted an orator as the Rev. Hugh M`Neile
should have drawn the attention of his crowded congregation
from his pulpit, before something more tangible is before the
public for their discreet decision ; and this may be the more
regretted on account of the impression we all well know the
talented preacher has made upon his audience by his powerful
appeal.
Both Mr. Braid and M. Lafontaine are, I believe, well
known in London, and, from their efforts having been exer-
cised there, it is scarcely to be imagined that the vigilant eye
of scientific men in the metropolis would allow the subject
to be slightingly overlooked, which, 1 think I may venture
to say, is the case with those most able to judge.
I am rather surprised that some of our ardent local theo-
rists have not touched upon the influence of the increased or
diminished state of sensorial power, well known by medical
men to vary, not only in different individuals, but at different
times of the day, modified by causes, external and internal,
too numerous to touch upon in this communication.
I have reason to believe, that if the subject was to be taken
up by those competent to judge of the fallacy or truth of
what seems to agitate a portion of the public at present, it
would then be allowed a place in those periodicals wherein
its appearance would have its due weight, but without which
I am confident the most respectable part of the scientific
world will treat it with silent indifference.
It is to be deeply lamented that the present rage for no-
velty, as evinced by Mesmerism, Homceopathes and Hy-
dropathy, should so easily attract many from whom better
effects may have been expected ; but how can it be strange,
when not bnly such characters as St. John Long should
avail themselves of this weakness of human nature, but men
who rank high in the medical profession are known to prac-
tise a promptitude and decision scarcely warrantable by the
most sagacious of their brethren? Can it then, I say, be
wondered, that young aspirants can so readily adopt those
opinions and views which are, more or less, only a modifica-
tion of what I have both imperfectly and vaguely hinted at?
But so it is ; and if all he true which I have heard,—for 1.
do not of myself know it,—it is now in full force in Liver-
pool. DUBIUM.

SHEFFIELD AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

—•
SIR.—As you take an interest in the success of the Shef-
field Railway, and have boldly taken the field against its in-
terested traducers, I have taken the liberty of sending you
the following remarks on theenorplous waste of coal which
i
has for years been going on n this district ; the publication
of which will, I think, be sufficient to convince all who are
not 'blinded, by interest or 1014ludiges of the benefit' which

the above railway would confer on the populoni town of Man-
chester, and the populous districts to the east of it. I leave
them in your hands, to make what use of them yon may think
proper.-1 am, sir, your's respectfully,
WM. PIC
Eighflatts, near Penistone, 411 s Mo. I2th, 18 K FORD.
42.
The Silkstone Coalfield, which lies within two miles of the
Sheffield and Manchester Railway, will be traversed through-
out its entire length by the projected branch line from Peni.
stone to the North Midland, via Barnsley. It consists of
several beds, all of which would pay for winning if a market
could be found within a reasonable distance. The lowest of
these seams is the " Silkstone Best Bed," of the quality of
which it is needless for me to speak : suffice it to say it is
universa ly admitted to be the finest coal in the county of
Yorkshire. Not less than 150,030 tons are annually sent by
water to various parts of Yot kshire, Lineolnshir
on the eastern coas‘, as well as I

price at the

pass through two or three upper seams before they get down
to the best bed, one of which, called the " Parkgate Coal,"
is 4 feet 8. inches thick, and is an excellent kitchen coal

though inferior to the bed before-mentioned; but, owing to
the great distance from' the place of consumption, and the

cinsequent I

•eight, &c., the coal-owners

are precluded from disposing of it at a profit, and it remains
untouched; and when the best bed is won from beneath it,
and the props taken away, it naturally follows that the super-
incumbent mass gives way, and the good, useful coal, of
which I am speaking, is borne down with the intervening
strata, of rubbish, and for ever lost. Millions of tons have
thus been entombed, and millions more will be, if the Man-
ebester and Leeds directors succeed in their endeavours to
crush the Sheffield railway. But this is not all : in working
the best bed, the miners turn out a large quantity of what
they term " seat coal," which is not of so'good a quality,
and contains a larger proportion of sulphur. This descrip-
tion of coal is consumed by the millers in their cottages.
They give ninepence for as much as they can pile on a two-
; but as the collieries produce far more than they
an consume, immense quantities are left underground, and

iorse cart

never brought to light except when the workmen are stowed
out. It is then drawn up, and piled on the surface, and set
fire to, and the cinders used to repair the roads. Yes; good
coal (equal in quality to the bulk of what is consumed in
Manchester) burnt to repair the roads!!!
Besides this there are the riddlings commonly called
" slack" or engine coal, large quantities of which are burnt
for coke, the price of this has hitherto been Bd. per ton at the
pit; but I am informed that, owing to the depressed state of
trade, and the consequent limited demand, there is such an
. .

accumulation of this description of fuel, that the proprietors
will give it to any one who will be at the trouble to take it
away! and I am convinced that it is much superior to the
generality of engine coal consumed in Manchester, in proof
of which I may mention, that l was told by a mill-owner in

. . .
Manchester in 1836, who had seen-a sample of the coal of
which I am speaking, that he was paying 10s. per ton for
fuel of a worse quality. Ido not know what the price of
coal is in Manchester at, present,' but if the Sheffield and
Manchester company charge the same tolls as the North
Midland and Stockton and Darlington companies, the best
Silkstone coal (which is superior to either Wigan or Oldham,
and is all but equal to cannel) can he delivered in Manches-
ter at 6s. per ton, the Pargate coal at 4s. 6d., and engine coal
at 3s. 6d. In conclusion I may hazard an assertion that, on
the completion of tl.e Sheffield line, the traffic in coal will be
one of its most prominent features—advantageous alike to
the company, and the manufacturing districts which the rail-
way connects.

TQ THE

FREEMASONRY

EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

" How can Freemasons reconcile the continuance of their meet
ings with the present state of the law ? "

SlR,—The above query forms the concluding portion of
the letter of your correspondent " Delta," in your publica-
tion of the 29th ult., in which letter he calls the attention of
the " Freemasons of Liverpool, and all members of other
illegal societies," to a report in the Times (London) of the

18th February, wherein it appears that Mr. Justice Burton,
in his charge to the grand jury at the.late assizes at Longford,
is stated to have said, " Every secret society, no matter how
laudable its objects may be, is illegal." "Every species of

I %;:ellbeing of the cow-

and ought to b,

•".,
great logical sagacity to make such a deduction. , However,
I beg to disallow the prernis-s, and, with your permission,
shall inform " Delta " and the unenlightened portion of your

numerous readers upon

hat ground

On the 2lth AugUst, 1839, an act was passed* for " pre-
venting the administering and taking of unlawful oaths in
Ireland," the second clause of which contains an exemption
in favour of Freemasons and the Society of Friendly Bro-
thers. Thus much for Mr. Justice Burton's opinion as to
the illegality of all secret societies
History

Ms us of a periodf when it was illegal for
" - rate or meet in chapters or congrega-
been passed by an " ignorant and illi-

Rti by the