The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-01-14 00:00:00

Local ilebxs. William Brown, Esq., M.P., has given £lOO to the In -austrial Ragged School Society. The Liverpool Yacht Club has voted twenty guineas for the exhibition of 1851. Mr. W. Eddowes, of Shrewsbury, has been appointed house surgeon to St. Anne's Dispensary, in this town. On Tuesday morning, an old woman, named Ann Evans, residing in Nelson-street, Birkenhead, was dis covered dead in bed. The Bo ton packet-ship Plymouth Packet, Captain Caldwell Has made the outward pass ge to Boston in twenty-eight days. On Tuesday, Ellen Scorrett, a carrier in the Fish Mar ket, fell down suddenly on the footwalk in Hope-street, and died shortly after. Considerable damage was done to the stock of Mr. Pearson, grocer, Monk-street, Birkenhead, by a fire Which broke out on Wednesday night. On Monday night last, Peter Flannery went to his bro ther's house in Wright-street, and sat down on a chair, Where he died a few minutes afterwards. The Rev. Major Rider Bresher, 8.A., St. John's Col lege, Cambridge, has been licensed to Christ Church C. ( stipendiary), Liverpool. The Teviot steamer, with the Brazil and Rio Plate Mails, sailed on Thursday. She took about £67,000 in specie, and a moderate cargo. On Thursday, the Princess Royal steamer ran from Greenock to this port in fifteen hours and twenty-five minutes. Memorials to Lord Palmerston requesting the adoption Of measures to liberate Kossuth from Kutaja are being extensively and influentially signed in Manchester. Li verpool ought to emulate conduct so honourable. Messrs. W. Mann, J. Worrall, and R. Kneeshaw have been appointed members of the Pilots' Committee, in the SO Ot of Mr. W. Tapley, deceased, and Messrs. W. Benn and James Aikin, resigned. Two boys, while out in the neighbourhood of Windsor, hidunday afternoon, discovered the body of a female lying in a ditch. it was removed to the dead-house, Where it awaits a coroner's inquest. The congregation of the Baptist Chapel in Myrtle- Street have determined to erect side galleries in the chapel, as a testimony of respect and gratitude towards their Pastor, the Rev. H. S. Brown. Mr. W. B. Wray, late organist at the Roman Catholic Chapel, Birkenhead, has been appointed organist to the School f or the Blind, in the place of Mr. W. T. Best. resigned. tile ship Albatross, the property of Gibbs, Bright, and co., from this port to Po r t Adelaide, arrived at the latter 110 nce on the sth S e pt em b er , a ft er a p r osperous voyage of days Y ; all the passengers well and happy. On the Ist instant, Murty Uriel, a labourer, was work- Ing on board the ship Mary Hall, lying in the Victoria 1p e. " when he fell into the hold, and received several se vere injuries. ei l ir - oebuck,.C., and Mr. erjeant iins are se- IY ret ß ained to o defend the parti S es lately W committed for Mal, for the riots at Birkenhead, to the next Chester assizes A. woman, named Isabella Kenny , residing in Toxteth- Park, and who had been attended by a surgeon connected with the Dispensary, died on Friday. The circumstances of her death will form a subject for inquiry before the coroner this day. An inquest was held, on Saturday, on an infant named '"' we eriy, which its mother found dead by her side on Friday morning. When she went to bed the night before she was so drunk that she knew nothing about the cir cumstances, until she found he r child dead. On Saturday morning next, a splendid new ship, of 776 tons register, will be launched from the building- Yard of P. Chaloner, Sons, and Co., 3, Baffin-street. She i s i ntended for the East India trade, and is one of the most perfect specimens of a merchant-ship ever built. The Wallasey Ladies' Ch ar ity B a ll was held on Wed fashionably attended. Mrs. Mann officiated as lady pa troness, Mr. Ewart as president, and Mr. Wright as vice- Pre sident. M r . G r ibbi n ' s b an d performe d exce ll ent l y, and the room was beautifully decorated. , r el e n Friday a man named Ross was standing in I at Howard -street, with abundle of straw upon his head.4l A pony and cart were passing at the time, when e beast stumbled and fell. It suddenly rose and bonn eted towards the man, who was knocked down, and re ceived severe internal injuries. LICENSED VICTUALLERS' BALL.—The most nume rously attended ball which this praiseworthy association has ever yet given i n Li verpoo l " came o ff" a t th e Town st on Thursday ni g ht. Th e M a yor was present—the splay of b eauty, great, and the entertainments, which Wer e soPnlied by Mr. Ford, of the Wellington Hotel, gave universal satisfaction to upwards of 600 guests. t w COLLE GIATE FESTIVAL.—We pe rce i v e that the :last for o n i g hts are announced for this evening and to-morrow the most attractive oratorios are provided. The thehe-a7ing classp s , will rejoice to find that they can now otho r 26es sitih or Judas Maccabeus, with a powerful ordinary arid excellent metropolitan vocalists, for the extra , ary _ lew charge of sixpence. We never recollect a cheaper musical treat. ExTa A di ateIy .ORDINARY SCENE AT HOLYWELL. upon the conclusion of the funeral service which was read over the remains of the late Miss Mary Ann Jackson, of Liverpool, one of the sisters of the deceased became so affected and excited that she threw herself into the grave, and stretched herself on the coffin. It was with the greatest difficulty, and the aid of two men, that she was got up and forced, or rather carried, from the churchyard, which was dune amidst her fervent ex pressions of hope that she should soon follow her dear It was a most trying scene. _ On Saturday last, the screw-steamer Dumbarton Youth, lately purchased by the Messrs. Horsfall, of this town, left this port for the West Coast of Africa. Since passing into the hands of her new owners she has undergone ex tensive alteration, her cabin and other houses having been placed upon deck, and her hull and machinery thoroughly overhauled. Her hull is painted a light blue, with white streak, and her funnel cream colour ; and as she lay in the r iver during the greater part of Saturday, her hand- Some appearan ce a tt rac t e d un i versa l a d m i rat i on . W e b e . v ex e c v!,.she is i ntended for the inland river navigation, being excellently adapted where a light draught of water is wired. ItiETiEWELLERY ROBBERY.—The following is a list of the articles stolen from Alessrs. Clark and Morris :-65 igld watches, (many of them of a very valuable description,) ahog°llbracelets, 8 necklace chains, with ornament ; st e t au gold, &C., brooches ; 12 sets of fancy shirt posed of diamond. erne Thse., diamonds, &c•, set in gold ; 24 gem rings, cop rald, and ruby ; 28 ladies' mourning wit , set with pearls and diamonds ; 58 fancy rings, set pearls and gems ; 60 signet rings, diamond pins, 40 weddfencil cases, gold gold pins, brooches, neck chains, and apprehensiontig rin g s . A reward of £lOO has been off.!red for the of the thieves the recovery of tbe 500. DuDUCAL The prime cost of thearcticles stolen was £1,500. e .... poly h AL E NTERT AINMENT. —M r. Love, the celebrated s 4 P - abiat, is at present sojourning professionally at tai tanwick Park, the residence of the Duke of Northuanber nl. The extraordinary vocal peculiarities of Mr. Love have be en nightly h a il ed with peals of laughter and ap plause by crowded audiences, chiefly composed of families fel=tedin from the surrounding country, but containing a guests from greater distances. On the evening of aw Year's Day' Mr. Love appeared before a party of about three hue persons, and on the following night 3 entertainments were before a still larger audience. boas the a ccommodation of the recipients of his Grace's Pit alitY, the apartment devoted to Mr. Love's enter 1, ments has been fitted up with an elevated stage, a gallery e a Pable of seati ng a b ou t t wo h un d re d an d fif ty v i - Porar, and other conve n i ences , a f ter th e manner o f a tem y theatre. t,„ IIE ALTH of THE T owN. — We find that for the fifty -10 1 - a weeks en di ng the 28th of December last, there were ' th ' e '3 deaths in this borough, being 6923 fewer than in Ally Prev ius year, and 3026 fewer than the average mor frillof the previous seven years. Deducting the deaths cholera, there was a decrease in the number of death last year as compared with the previous year of 1824. ln fact, the mortality of 1850 was lower than that " any Year since 1837. state As a proof that this satisfactory measureof the health of the inhabitants arises in a great themfro the vigorous efforts now made by the offi cers in sanatory department, it may be stated that the deaths from diseases—admitted to be the best aboutf the sanatory condition of a town, were 2649, or • 26 per cent, of the whole, a smaller proportion than 1 1 3, any year since the Sanatory Act came into operation. t i the total number of deaths, 5194 were males, and 4929 bernalea •; 5 777 were below fifteen years of age, 3178 were ..etween fifteen and sixty, and 1138 above sixty. As usual, t he rate o f land Ward mortality was highest in Vauxhall and Scot- Wards. a, and lowest in Rodney and Abercromby 14t GR i 4IAT ION OF LATTER DAY SAINTS.—On Monday 7; , he Ellen sailed from this port for New Orleans, I t t o v ing on board 466 emigrants, on their way to the Thernlon settlement in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. taw emigrants were from all parts of England ; fifteen th e l o l " coming from Sheffield alone. A second ship. $b `j e arge William Brown is also ready to sail, with rtout 280 emigrants of the ' same persuasion, and for the h a s t destination ; whilst another vessel, the Ellen Maria, Pratt een laid on to sail on the 29th instant. Mr.. Orson agent the .head of the sect, and who is an emigration e — this town, will take his passage in her. This rzTeitgerration is of a most extraordinary and romantic cha heart ' the subsequent journey would appal the stoutest The , Let as Poor upheld by religions fervour or fanaticism. File fa" as emigres from New Orleans proceed up the river Council Bluff, 900 miles north of St. Louis. th e 7 7! 11 there prepare for the overland . journey across blii am to the Salt Lake Valley, a distance of 1000 journey which has to be performed in waggons. and their cicala lies across a tract of country almost entirely des gte af herbage. Qil go lar eircilt4ll A singu- RECOVERY OF LOST PROPERTY.-- Loin urnstance lately occurred to a passenger,_ who , th e dig accumulated a quantity of the precious metal at to Lif,a gin g s in California, was about to sail from Boston %hip is rp .o .i . " It appears that he took a passage in the coropri_inel. Webster, and placed on board his things, tuoe,„'lng only a small portmanteau and a box. Unfor to se "' IL LY, , , he missed his passage, and the ship proceeded vering lyitil°ut the Californian adventurer. On di co hie hit, t la unfortunate position, and calling to mind that i. .. rea s O e b egan = a was on board a ship far away on the Atlantic, immediatelyto entertain doubts as to its security. He the P ac k et started for New York, and took passage in While iP Waterloo, and reached Liverpool. Mean luh,,_the Daniel Webster entered the Mersey, and his o a!lir, for want of a claimant, was taken by the customs iT7 and the depot. It at length turned out whose it ioowhen the lost found 11 ' Passenger made his appearance, had the portmanteau opened, and, to his joy, precious t a hidden treasure--no less than 15 lbs. of the appeared rtal, worth at least £3 9s. 7d. per ounce. It Me by th e office t the greatest care had been taken of the lug ll, of the ship. EXPENSES OP APPLICATIONS TO PARLIAMENT.—III the Town Council, on Wednesday, Mr. Thompson called attention to the enormous amount of the law and parlia mentary expenses incurred by the borough of Liverpool within the last sixteen years, and which he stated were as follows £ s. d. 1835 ... 1836 1837 ... 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 . 1845 .. 1846 1847 [Of this sum the cost for the water bill was £7,737.] 1848 [For the water bill £23,526 19s. 6d.] 1849 1850 „ Water Bill, &c. 10,397 12 6 „ Equitable Rating Committee 2,500 0 0 COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION. — The lecture season at this institution commences on Friday next, and the sub jects promise to be interesting. Dr. Nevins will open with a course on chemistry, electricity, light, and heat. Mr. F. Warren will follow, and treat of the cotton manu facture, his remarks being illustrated by a handsome set of working models. Those stupendous examples of modern engineering enterprise and skill, the Conway and Britannia Tubular Iron Bridges, will be rendered more familiar to the Liverpool public by Edmund Wheeler, Esq., C.E., whose descriptions will be illustrated by models and diagrams, both of the entire bridges and of their separate parts. Mr. Carte's unrivalled performances on the flute, on two former occasions, will have prepared all who heard him to anticipate with pleasure the course which he is announced to give on instrumental music, in which he will be assisted by several eminent local pro fessors. The valuable commercial specimens collected in this town for the great Industrial Exhibition of the pre sent year will again be rendered available in illustrating the vegetable products imported into Liverpool, upon which Mr. T. C. Archer is to lecture. The Rev. H. H. Higgins will follow with a course on South Palestine and the Dead Sea, Samaria, Galilee, Lebanon, Damascus, and Baalbec. The steam-engine and its practical appli cations has been entrusted to Mr. John Grantham. Mr. Bishop, the drawing master of the institution, gives two lectures on practical drawing. Then come four lectures on Athens and its antiquities ; one by the Rev. Principal of the institution. These are the arrangements up to Easter, after which Mr. Rumball, who delivered a most brilliant course on a somewhat similar subject a short time ago, will lecture on the moral difference between animals and man. BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.—The committee of the Birken head Dock Trust have completed their report, addressed to the bondholders, by whom they were appointed at the close of November last, for the purpose of inquiring into the present state and condition of their affairs, and the best means for raising the funds necessary to complete the works, and to confer with a committee to be appointed by the dock company thereon. The report of the commit tee recommends the bondholders to assent to the bill of the Dock Company, leaving open the question as to the price of the South Reserve. The terms intended to be carried into effect by the Dock Company's bill are as fol lows;-1. Company to aid, by a guarantee on their pro perty at Birkenhead, in raising £250,000, towards the completion of the outer works and excavations of the great float. 2. Company to aid, in like manner, in rais ing £70,000 for building the walls, not yet contracted for, around the great float ; but all monies received ap plied in repaying the advance. 3. Company to purchase South Reserve at £130,000, to be applied in completion of the outer works. 4. No ships to use any docks to be constructed on South Reserve without paying rates to the trustees. 5. Bonds to be issued within two years for the arrears of interest on the existing bonds, and to be called Interest Bonds. The general result of the inquiries of the committee was that there was no hope of any divi dend ever being paid upon the bonds, unless additional capital could be raised for completing the works in their entirety, for which purpose they proposed to apply to par liament for powers to raise the necessary capital, and also to place the control of the works more in the hands of the bondholders. A meeting of the bondholders was held on Thursday, at the London Tavern, Baron de Goldsmid in the chair, when the report was presented and adopted. After a slight discussion, in which Mr. Laird and Mr. Ellice, two of the trustees, maintained that arrangements were in progress by which the property would be made available to the expenditure of an additional capital not exceeding £130,000, and the former gentleman pro mised shortly to publish a full reply to the report of the committee, a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. INSPECTION OF NUISANCES. — Mr. Fresh submitted on Thursday to the Health Committee his annual report of the work which had come under the surveillance of his department. From this it appeared that the middens emptied in the borough, last year, were 55,217; the nightly average being 1761, We subjoin extracts from his report on cellar clearance, smoke-consumption, &c. The return of the number of cattle slaughtered in the borough during 1850 is also both curious and gratifying :- 46,825 cellar examinations were reported to have been made in the year; 33,282 were found unoccupied at the time of examination ; 6,741 illegal cellars found separately occupied, without beds, and in evasion of the law ; 1643 illegal cellars found separately occupied, with beds, in violation of the law. 347 informations had been laid against owners of street cellars, for illegally letting them after notice : and 64 informations laid against tenants of street cellars, who refused to quit at the request of the owners ; 20 have been, on conviction, taken to the Bo rough Gaol, and these were persons who either obstinately refused to quit the cellars, or who still continued to let them in determined opposition to the law. 298 applica tions to register lodging-houses had been made. There had been 39 notices issued to owners of furnaces and others to consume their smoke ; 186 smoke informations reported by the police; and 22 smoke informations pro ceeded with. Fifty licenses to slaughter cattle within the borough had been granted during the year ; and the total number of persons so licensed in Liverpool, exclusive of those killing in the Abattoir Company's premises, are now 61. The following is the return of the cattle actually slaughtered in the various slaughter-houses in the borough of Liverpool, during the year 1850, distinguishing those killed in the Abattoir Company's slaughter-houses from those killed in private slaughter-houses, namely Abattoir Co's Private S'. houses. S'-houses. Total. No. of beasts slaughtered 22,488 12,811 35,299 „ calves SI „ sheep „ .... 113,956 49.353.... 163,309 „ lambs Of ~ pigs ~ Total: 156,712....92,251.... —248,963 15,305 more cattle of the above descriptions had been killed for the use of the people of Liverpool, in 1850, than were slaughtered for their use in the year 1849, Jan. 14, 1851. LOCAL MEETINGS SELECT VESTRY.—The fortnightly meeting was held on Tuesday, the Rev. Rector Campbell in the chair. The proceedings of the Finance Committee contained a report from the Sub-committee on assessments, in which they state that they consider the present system, under which the assessment is only partially revised annually, a vicious one, and that, in justice to the parish, a correct and uni form valuation of property should be aimed at, year by year. A duty of such great extent and importance as Liverpool requires constant vigilance and attention, such as can only be expected from an officer giving his whole time to the duty. They therefore recommend the ap pointment of a professional valuer who shall devote his whole time to the duty ; the salary to be fixed at £3OO per annum. The report was ordered to stand over for con sideration ; copies in the mean time to be printed, and one sent to each member. The Chairman moved a re solution, authorizing the Vestry-clerk and himself to place themselves in communication with the other parishes in the kingdom interested, in seeking their co. operation in obtaining from Government some measure calculated to regulate effectually the immigration of Irish paupers. It was seconded and carried. -- THE W LIVERPOOL MARINE SOCIETY.—The annual meeting of the friendly society bearing this name, which was established in 1789, for the benefit of masters of vessels, their widows, wives, and children, was held on Tuesday, in the Clarendon-rooms. It appeared that there were four captains, twenty widows, and six orphan children claimants upon the ‘book, and that the subscriptions of members for the year had yielded, to be divided amongst these, £463. Last year the captains re ceived an annuity of £23, widows £lB, and an orphan child £9 ; but the directors recommended that these sums should this year be slightly graduated ; that, when mare than one child was left in a family, there should be a small reduction according to the number; and that cap tains and widows under sixty years of age should receive a little less than those who were above sixty, as the latter require more care and comfort. Mr. H. G. Sutton, one of the directors, showed the justice and expediency of the proposed change. Captain Boult objected to it, and thought it would be better to keep the annuities uniform, irrespective of age. On a division, the recommendations of the board were adopted, officers for the ensuing year were chosen, and the meeting adjourned. BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.—The usual meeting was held on Tuesday evening. The minutes of the Light ing and Watch Committee showed that a resolution had been unanimously passed, conveying the thanks of the committee to Mr. James M`Harg, the superintendent of the police, for his excellent conduct during the late riots, and expressive of the entire confidence of the committee in him as head of the police. Mr. Bailiff moved that such part of the minutes of the committee as related to placing an extra lamp in Clifton-crescent be referred back. Mr. Watson seconded the motion, which was car ried, the rest of the proceedings being confirmed. On the reading of the minutes of the Health Committee, Mr. Pike drew attention to the number of pigsties and depo sits of manure on the open ground in various parts of the township. He named several localities where such nui sances existed, and said, unless some steps were taken to abate the evil, Birkenhead, from being one of the clean est towns in the country, would soon become one of the dirtiest. The matter was referred to the committee. — The proceedings of the Improvement Committee relating to an alteration of the plans of buildings to be erected on land in the park belonging to Mr. Boothby, led to some discussion, and it was ultimately referred back.—The ferry receipts during the month of December, 1850, were £1,469 18s. 9d. ; during the corresponding month of 1849, £1,185 ss. ld. ; ditto from 23d April to 31st Dec. in 1849, £13,457 9s. 7d. ; and for 1850, £15,484 Bs. 2d. The total expenditure during the latter-mentioned period, was £13,381 Is. ld. The half-year's interest clue to the trustees of F. R. Price, Esq., on the lease of the ferry, bed been paid. DOox Commtrres,—The usual weekly meeting of the committee was held on Thursday, Mr. Thomas Littledale in the chair. A. new foot-way to George's Pier, seven yards wide, paved with small stones, at the estimated cost of £450, was ordered to be constructed.—A sum of 15s. per week, for three months, was ordered to be paid to Margaret Whittle, whose husband had died from injuries sustained whilst in the employ of the Dock Committee. — The old light-ship Comet, now dismantled, was ordered to be sold by public auction.—A memorial was read from the care-takers in the transit sheds, remonstrating rela tive to the reduction of their wages by the committee from 255. weekly to 21s. Mr. Tobin thought those men onght to be properly paid ; and to reduce them from 255. to 21s. was too much. He would move that their wages should be again 255. per week. Mr. Fisher seconded the motion, which was put, and negatived by a majority of II to 5. ACHILL MISSION.—On Tuesday evening the annual meeting of the friends of the Protestant Home mission, established on the Island of Achill, was held in the Music hall, Bold-street. The Rev. Dr. M'Neile presided, and the proceedings of the meeting were opened with prayer. The Rev, J. R. Conor stated that the subscription had amounted to £35 175., against £l3 19s. in the previous year. The Rev. Mr. Rogers, curate of Achill, then pro ceeded to state that in Achill, sixteen years ago, there was not a single Protestant ;. there was, he need not add, no place of Protestant worship, no schools of any kind ; few or none could read in the island ; and one New Testament in any language was all that could be found in the island after the most diligent search. Now after the settlement of the colony what was the fact ? There were at present six places of Protestant worship—(applause)— there were four ordained clergymen of the united Church of England ; there were six Scripture readers ; there were thirty Scriptural schools,besides those falsely called national, and which only set up in antagonism to the others ; a refuge for orphans, a dispensary fo. the poor, a hospital for the sick, and last, but not least,. there was a printing press upon the island. (Lond applause.) Out of a population of 5000,1000 were now Protestant. (Loud applause.) The Rev. Mr. Nangle, Mr. S. Holme, and the chairman sub. sequently addressed the meeting, after which it separated. ARCHITECTURAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. — The usual fortnightly meeting of this society was held on Wednesday evening, Mr. J. Picton, the president, in the chair. Mr. F. Horner, solicitor, was appointed to suc ceed Mr. Laker as treasurer. Mr. Charles Reed pro duced the plans and designs- of an hotel, to be called the Britannia Hotel, which he has been deputed to construct in the immediate vicinity of the Menai Straits, and, in fact, overlooking them, ana commanding a view of the tubular bridge. Mr. Reed explained the plans and de signs, and intimated that the hotel would contain nearly five hundred beds ; and some notion of its extent may be judged of by the fact, that the front alone will be no less than 521 feet long. Mr. Paxton will be employed to lay out the grounds, and M. Soyer was consulted as to the kitchen department. The remarkable feature in the de sign is its connexion with the railway, to be accomplished by means of a glass avenue. The hotel will be one of the most magnificent in this country, or any other country, being, it is understood, much larger than that of Astor house, New York. Mr. Reed next read a paper supposed to have been written by Hickman, the celebrated Gothic architect, which had been forwarded by Mr. W. Mason, on the subject of Chester Cathedral. Mr. Picton offered some remarks on the architectural remains, &c., of the Winchester, Canterbury, and Salisbury Cathedrals. A short discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Frank Howard, H. P. Horner, R. Brown, and J. Boult, took part. HEALTH COMMITTEE.—The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held on Thursday,—Alderman J. Parker in the_ chair. It appeared that the collection of rates had improved by more than five per cent., or £4876. The annual report of the Inspector of Nuisances and of the medical officer were then read. The substance of both will be found in another column. The Chairman said the report was a very able one, and gentlemen who were opposed to them should read it.—Mr. Willoughby, proprietor of the Tranmere Ferry, was introduced to the committee. He stated that two of his men were at pre sent in custody, at the instance of the committee, for the non-payment of fines imposed upon them for smoke nuisances, and another man, who had been thirty years in his employ, and in the employ of his predecessor, was Oliged to abscond to avoid the same consequences. None of these men were conscious of having violated any enactment, or being instrumental in doing so. The greatest proof of the impossibility under which they laboured in endeavouring to destroy the smoke was shown by the boats of the Corporation, built after the passing of this enactment, which still cor, tinned, and were at that moment letting out large fumes of smoke. If they provided a law to punish steam-boat proprietors for not burning smoke, they ought to provide the means of destroying it, otherwise it was a strange anomaly. He (Mr. Willoughby) had called in Mr. Grantham, and the foreman of Mr. Williams, the patentee for the smoke consumers, and they had endeavoured to cause the smoke to be consumed ; bu: it was a total failure, and he had nearly lost one of his boats through it. The Nimrod, Cork steamer, was nearly lost from the same cause ; and it was really too bad to carry out a scheme which not alone injured the boats, but endangered the navigation. The Chairman suggested that Mr. Willoughby should memorialise the Council on the subject, and it would receive the best consideration. Mr. Willoughby stated that he would do so. COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS, The adjourned meeting of the Council was held on Wednes day. The proceedings of the Dock Committee having been read, - Mr. LITTLED;LE rose to move their confirmation. He said there was nothing of moment connected with the estate with the exception of the new dock bill, a copy of which had been sent to every trustee. It appeared that the American Cham ber of Commerce bad some remarks to make upon the bill, but were not prepared. He suggested, therefore that they should postpone the discussion. A special meeting would probably have to be held in reference to the new sanatory bill, and the dock bill might be considered then. Mr. LANOSDALE seconded the motion. Mr. S. HoLmE should reserve what he had to say on the important subject in the Dock Committee proceedings till it came formally before the Council ; but as there was upon those proceedings a memorial from the timber merchants relative to the abstraction of a large quantity of land from the Harring ton Dock, and as it was a question in which the interest of many of the innabitants, as well as of the Corporation, were concerned, he trusted thati the Dock Committee would take care that a copy of the plans which were to be lithographed should be sent to each member of the Council, that they might know what they were called upon to sanction. Mr. LITTLE DALE said that instructions to that effect had already been given. The minutes of the Town-hall Committee contained some correspondence from Mr. Westcott, who had been requested to examine the Hilton picture of the " Crucifixion," on the staircase of the Town-hall. It was not now suffering, the artist said, from too much sun and light ; nor did he think that, in its present position, it was likely to do so, as the frosting on the windows diffused the sun's rays, and prevented them from striking with too much force upon the canvas. The picture did require, however, several cracks to be filled. Mr. Westcott was directed to take the necessary steps for the repair of the painting. Some discussion took place on an application from the Free masons for the use of the Town-hall rooms for a charity ball. The application was opposed on the ground that only that part of the public who were masonic brethren would be admitted. An amendment by Mr. THoMsoN, seconded by Mr. Hour, that the rooms be allowed as usual, was negatived by a majo rity of 25 to 14. _ . . fhe proceedings of the Health Committee contained a re commendation to appoint Mr. Clarke superintendent of the new baths and washhouses in Cornwallis-street. Mr, HOLT, as chairman of the Water Committee, moved the confirmation of its proceedings. He said he was not aware that there was anything in them calling for observation, except the contract for a new engine for the Green-lane works. They had contracted with Messrs. Forrester and Co. for .e 5,750, and that comprised an engine capable of raising a million gallons of water per day, with engine -house, &c. Mr. WOODRUFF seconded the motion. . . Considerable discussion took place, in the course of which the TOWN-CLERK stated, in answer to Mr. Alderman PARKER, that an award had been given against the Corporation in favour of Mr. Chippendale for works near Horwich, in connection with the ltivington waterworks. After some discussion on general subjects, the proceedings were confirmed. The proceedings of the Church Expenditure Committee con tained, it appeared, a report of forty pages in length. Mr. FERGUSON moved that it be not read, as it had been ordered to be printed, and a copy sent to the members. At the next monthly meeting the committee would he prepaikd to move such resolutions founded upon the report as were neces sary. _ . . Mr. PARKER hoped that that voluminous report embraced the ecclesiastical discipl'ne of the churches. (Loud cries of " Hear, bear.") Mr. FEROUSON. — It is a complete history from beginning to end. It was agreed that the subject should be postponed. Mr. WOODRUFF formally moved the confirmation of the new by-laws affecting the cars and hackney-coaches; but as there did not appear to be two-thirds of the Council present, they w re postponed. The next subject upon the Council-paper was Mr. PARKER'S motion, " That the sum of 41,700 be granted for the purpose of establishing a reformatory for juvenile offenders, as an ex periment; and that some portion of the new gaol be appropri ated for the above purpose, or the land adjoining be used as the site thereof." This gave rise to a very protracted discussion, and half-a. dozen different amendments were proposed. Mr. PARKER agreed to withdraw his motion, on finding that the resolution, as worded, would give the committee 41,700 in addition to the 41,700 already voted. Mr. HENDERSON said they were bound by act of parliament to apply their surplus revenue to certain purposes— to the re duction of rates, improvement of the town, and other public benefits. He was prepared to move an amendment, that an application be made to parliament for a grant to carry out the intention of the promoters of the scheme. In London they had the impudence to ask for 4300,000 to make a park. Mr. BENNETT seconded this, but it was displaced by still further amendments. Mr. WOODRUFF succeeded in carrying a motion, by a majo rity of one, that the reformatory should be on the Wall-hill estate ,• but ultimately the Council agreed, on the motion of Mr. W. K. TYRER, that it should be erected on some land be longing to the Corporation near the new gaol at Walton, but on the opposite side of the railway. Mr. PARKER moved, " That out of the surplus fund for the present year, a sum of 42,000 be appropriated for the purpose of building twenty almshouses for poor and aged burgesses, such houses to be erected either on the Wall-hill or some other eligible portion of the corporate estate." Mr. THOMSON seconded the motion, and said that he should be happy to give 4100 out of his own pocket towardsthescheme. Mr. JAMES HOLME supported the motion, which was opposed by Mr. HOLT, on the ground that municipal grants should not be devoted to such a purpose. It was doing no real service to the people. After some remarks from Mr. BENNETT, in support of the resolution, Mr. FISHER opposed the grant. He could see no practical good in it ; even when the twenty burgesses were provided for, what was to become of the two thousand poor burgesses who could not be reached? After some other conversation, the motion was put for or against. It was lost by 9to 22. Mr. HENDERSON moved the appointment of a committee to take into consideration the best means of reducing the expenses attendant upon any future application to parliament. The motion being seconded, Mr. THOMSON, enumerated the items of expenditure incurred during the past sixteen years for bills and other applications. The motion was carried. Mr. HENDERSON also moved, "That a specific return be made of the particular items comprehended in the sum of 42,430 19s 7d., under the head of " Expenaes of Inquiry before Mr. Stephenson."' Carried. Till LIVEIPOSIt fi4PANDAID. THE INDUSTRIAL RAGGED SCHOOLS. TO EDWARD RUSHTON, ESQ,i, well-known readiness to listen to any plan for ameliorating. the condition of the lower orders in Liverpool, and the especial interest you have latterly expressed on behalf of juvenile criminals, embolden me to address you at the present time. Among the subjects which now seem to be oc cupying the minds of the thinking and philanthropic portion of mankind, the question of how juvenile delinquency may be checked is , one of the most prominent. It was with heartfelt satisfaction:that I perused your own excellent letter, and that of the Itev. Mr. Carter, proposing a plan for the establishment of a juvenile reformatory. Such an institution-would indeed be most valuable; and I noticed, with deep. regret, that the carrying of it into effect had been delayed by a counter motion in the Town Council. But, sir, when I fully enter into, and appreciate the plan proposed for the reformation of those who have unfortunately stood as criminals at the bar, allow me to remark that' Liverpool has also a duty, and an important one, in reference to those children who, as yet, are not /mown to be thieves. Prevention is, in every case, better than-cure. How ever we may praise the skilful adaptation of the life-boat to the purpose for which it is intended; however thankful we may be that it saves one here and another thereof the poor creatures who are clinging half drowned to the wreck of their sinking vessel; and however we may rejoice over one life saved ; if, by the erection of a lighthouse, or the floating of a buoy over the sunken rocks, we can probably prevent many shipwrecks, surely we are called upon at once to make the effort. Your admirable letter before alluded to does-not advert to the causes of the distressing amount of juvenile depravity which you so humanely desire to reform; it does not touch upon the "raw material," so to speak, from which the supply for our gaols and police-courts are derived. There are num bers of children in Liverpool who wander about the streets without any really.legitimate means of obtaining a livelihood many of them without any shelter worthy of being called a home; others sent out by parents whose poverty or depravity prevents their providing for them, to pick up a living how and where they can, sometimes under the pretence of selling trifling articles, at others to beg, and in some instances, alas to steal. It is proverbial that hunger will break through stone walls ; and children turned out to seek their own subsistence must, in some form or other, live upon the public. Idleness, it is well known, is the prolific parent of all other evils : unless the mind and the hands be pre-occupied with good, as certainly as a stone falls to the ground, they will soon be filled with evil. I Well would it be if the Government - provided schools for all, I and made attendance at these schools compulsory as regards all children-of a certain age. Many think that using coercion to compel parents to send their children to school would be a plan inconsistent with the genius of the British constitution, and be interfering too much with the liberty of the subject. To my mind this objection does not appear valid ;: the law steps in to prevent depraved parents from injuring the bodies of their children; it can, and does, punish them for such injury when inflicted; why, then, should the same law not interfere to prevent their inflicting evils almost irreparable upon the minds of their children—evils which, moreover, cannot be confined to the first recipient, but are necessarily contagious in their very nature, and tend to. spread a moral pestilence abroad?• This, however, is a digression from my present sub ject. While conflicting parties are disputing about various schemes for rational education, nothing is done; the question has been debated year after year, and there it rests. In the meantime, the tide of population.sweeps on—every succeeding year sees our gaols tiled to over-flowing ; vessel atter vessel is despatched loaded with convicts,, and others take tneir places with a regularity that does indeed remind one of the waves one after another breaking on the shore. While statesmen are debating, and theorists are propounding their different plans, the great fact is staring us full in the face that there is at present a considerable portion. of our juvenile population who are utterly ignorant, utterly destitute, and who starve or steal. What, then, is the best remedy—l mean the best within our reach—for this deplorable, and ; I may add, disgraceful, state of things ? Of course, in the present state of the law, we have and ( 1)( t r o esruptopoirntttegemre and wi who 0 0 y se et c a h r i e ld t rr whose s,es parents can or too ignorant to seek the blessings of education for their offspring. Still, there is no question but that the great supply of juvenile criminals is drawn from the very lowest class, who properly come under the denomination of vagrants. With these we have to do ; and I reply, without hesitation, that in dustrial (ragged) schools are the remedy precisely adapted to their cases. Aberdeen has a just claim to the credit of being first to esta blish such schools. In that city, under the guidance of the good and indefatigable Sheriff Watson, a boys' industrial school was opened on the Ist of October, 1841. The first report states that the school was opened by way of experiment, for the children of the poorest classes, and chiefly for those who were found to infest the streets, begging and stealing. The experiment continued during the years 1842, 1843, and 1844. Although the efficiency of the system had at this time been fully demonstrated, it was found that the root of the evil was not practically reached. A pamphlet, recently published by Sheriff Watson, fully explains the position of matters, and the course subsequently pursued. He writes:— " At this time, (1844,) however, though boasting of the effi ciency of the industrial school system, we felt that, as then carried on, it was really delusive and unsubstantial. The children were admitted on the application of parents, or others interested in them. They were at liberty to come and go as they pleased : there were no means of vcuring their regular attendance but the attractions of food and school training, which were sufficiently powerful to draw together a considera ble number; but the vicious, the worthless, and the deter mined beggar despised our invitations, and begged, and stole, and idled, in spite of all our endeavours to prevent them. " In these circumstances we resolved, if possible, to discover a plan for destroying the evil genius that haunted us. We had acquired a sort of reputation as the promoters of industrial schools; and, while we were denied the means of extending them to the measure of our original conception, we were taunted with sanctioning a fallacy in maintaining that indus trial schools could eradicate juvenile vagrancy, when scores of juvenile vagrants were every day staring us in the face, and treating us with mockery and insult. Confident in the sound ness of the principle, and relying on the support of the public, we at last proposed to the magistrates to authorise the police to apprehend all begging children within the city, and convey them to school. The magistrates gave their concurrence on our responsibility for the legality of the proceeding. There was a law for apprehending beggars and carrying them before a magistrate, but there was none for seizing children and con veying them to school ; but we thought the charitable end justified the questionable means, and gave the necessary in structions to the police, which, after all, amounted only to a pressing invitation to dinner and spend the day. We had pre viously obtained the temporary use of the Soup Kitchen; and the police, on the forenoon of the 15th May, 1845, filled with 75 children (boys and girls), caught in the act of begging : and, in a few hours, juvenile vagrancy was finally extinguished in Aberdeen, and has never raised its head again. Here, then, we desire to take our stand, and request that, from this date, the industrial school system may be viewed as a means for pre venting juvenile vagrancy and juvenile crime. To look at it at an earlier period would be doing it injustice, when the principle, though experimented on, was only half carried out •, but, at this time, it was bronght into full operation, and all the results that were predicted were fully accomplished. From this date, juvenile vagrancy, in town and country, may be said to have ceased, and juvenile delinquency greatly diminished. This will be shown by the following tables, which exhibit the number of juvenile vagrants apprehended by the rural police during four years prior to 1845, and the four years subsequent to that date:- 1841 328 I 1846 l4 1842 1813 397 1848 6 1844 345 1849 1 1845 lO5 And the number of juvenile delinquents, under 12 years, com mitted to prison during the same period :- 1841 1842 22 1847.. ..... 27 1843 53 1848 l9 1844 .. 41 I 1849 l6 1845 49 These figures require no comment. They demonstrate that some agency has been at work to diminish juvenile vagrancy and delinquency since 1845, which had not been in perfect ope ration before ; and if any should ask what that agency was, we would answer, in the words of the County Prison Board,—the Rural Police Committee, and the Governor of the Aberdeen prisons. The County Prison Board, in their report on juve nile delinquency, Nov. 1848, after mentioning the consequences of early neglect, and the practicability and efficiency of the industrial schools, say, We would therefore recommend the establishment of such schools, and their support at the public expense.' " The Rural Police Committee, in their report for the year ending 1846, say that the most gratifying part of the results of the last year's experience, consists in the almost complete dis appearance of juvenile vagrants from the county. During the whole year only fourteen cases of juvenile vagrancy had oc curred. The committee think they can attribute the remarka ble change principally to these causes—' By the activity of your police, the system of sending out children to beg has ceased to be profitable, and has therefore been abandoned : and further, by the establishment of the admirable Schools of In dustry in Aberdeen, food and education having been provided for this unfoi tunate class of our people, and thus even the sha dow of an excuse has been taken away for sending out children to procure subsistence by begging. Your committee desire to draw particular attention to this subject, feeling it to be of the highest importance, because juvenile vagrancy is, they are per suaded the nursery whence a large proportion both of the crime and the pauperism of after years is furnished. Doubt less the Schools of Industry more immediately benefit the city of Aberdeen ; but as it was from Aberdeen that most of the ju venile vagrants in the county issued, so now the county also is sharing largely in the benefits of these institutions.' " Th Governor of the Prisons, in his report for the year 1848, says, ' We have the number of criminals under twelve years of age, reduced, in the course of six years, from 1843 to 1848 inclusive, from fifty-three to nineteen ; and if any one deems it necessary to ask what has produced such a change, I would just say, go to the Industrial Schools, and you will get a satisfactory answer imprinted on the ]sappy faces of the hun dreds of children who arethere receiving a moral, religious,and industrial education, and who, but for these schools, would have been training to be occupants of the prison cells, and pests of society.'" _ . __ _ At Glasgow similar schools were opened in 1847. Although I have no statistics whereby to shew that the same diminution in juvenile vagrancy and juvenile crime has taken place there, yet, by a note I received a few days back from Mr. Perry, the Secretary of the Industrial Schools, I learn that a begging child is now rarely to be found in the streets of Glasgow. He writes thus— . . " It you try energetically to put a stop to juvenile vagrancy at Liverpool, you will find it more easily accomplished than yon would at first suppose. When once put down, it is easily kept down, for very few will attempt to beg when they know the practice will not be allowed. We had some trouble with a few of the incorrigibles, or rather with their parents, who had been in the habit of appropriating the alms given to their chil dren ; but even these were brought under by a summary pro cess. We had them brought before the sitting magistrate, who, after reprimanding them for neglecting their offspring, gave them to understand that if the children were again found begging, they (the parents) would be committed to bridewell. This threat was no sooner carried into execution in one or two cases, than it got wind among the whole fraternity, and the effect has been that a begging child is now rarely seen in our rstreets. I am convinced that the number of juvenile vagrants in every city is greatly over estimated. Some people thought there were 1000 in Glasgow, some 2000 ; whereas we never had 350 in our schools at any one time; and we never refused ad mittance to any case which we deemed a fit one for the institu tion. At present our numbers are very little over 20)." Now, sir, I contend that what has been done in Aberdeen and Glasgow may be done in Liverpool. You are probably aware that on the same plan as the schools in Scotland were first opened, a school was commenced in Soho-street on the Ist of March, 1849. Of course, in such a community as that of Liverpool, the working of one school, during the short period of less than two years, although i t has produced many instances of individual improvement and reformation, cannot be expect ed to have yet had any perceptible influence over the juvenile population at large. The pressure of the same state of things as that described by Sheriff Watson as having existed at Aber deen in 1844, is now felt here. Notwithstanding the efficiency of the Soho-street school, and the proved soundness of the principle involved, hordes of begging children still continue to wander about our streets. At this point, I wish you clearly to distinguish in your own mind between the Industrial Ragged School and the Evening Ragged Schools. In the latter, there cannot be a doubt great good is done to those children who have some honest, though humble, occupation during the day, and attend the school eally to learn ; but it is quite self-evident that these schools, which are only opened for a few bouts in the course of the week, however useful they may be in their own particular sphere, can never be made the direct means of putting a stop to juvenile vagrancy. The Industrial School, in Soho-street, meets the case of the most destitute, and takes away a child's excuse for either beg ging or stealing, by giving him food. That food forms, in the first instance, a strong inducement for him to. attend the schools regularly ; and when he does this, the. task is compa ratively easy. Instruction in the elemeuts of reading, writing, &c., only forms part a the plan.. religion,, morality, wad cleanliness are all inculcated,. and thus habits of order and industry are gradually formed. But, sir, the principle on which I most rely for succesikand which is so well adapted to the class of children-we seek to benefit, is that of constant, but diversified, occupation; and-by making them diligent, we make them honest. The mornings-areorcupied by the usual lessons, &c. ; the whole of the afternoons, and sometimes a portion of the evenings, are devoted to industrial training, and that, too, or a profitable nature.- At present, the eighty boys, which is about the average attendance, independent of making clogs for themselves and making. and mending their own clothes, earn upwards of £2 Ins:-per week;- and so full of work is the school, that I might 'venture to say employment could be fonnd for two hundred in place-of eighty. In the girls' school there are about forty children. As this school has been but lately opened, they ;lave as-yet done but little work, with the exception of making shirts for the boys and clothing for them selves. But for these, too, I anticipate no difficulty in finding. employment. The principal occupation is that of making and printing paper bags for bakers, grocers, chemists, &c., and sorting bristles for the brushmakers—work which, I believe, interferes with no poorman'k bread. Sleeping accommodation is afforded to a few of the children who have literally no shelter, or whose parents are of such a totally depraved character that they cannot be trusted at home at night. I may here remark, that however fortunate we may be in obtaining work, the school can never be, in the nature of things, entirely self-supporting. Still, a very important prin ciple is involved in the tact of the-children earning something. The object of the school is not to pauperise and teach the chil dren to live contentedlyon charity. On the contrary, we en deavour to impress upon them that they are doing all they can to earn their own living—thus-elevating their moral tone, and pointing out that what they enjoy is, in a certain sense, the reward of their own exertions: AS a proof that the system is a sound one, I may mention that many boys who have been in the school, and thus earned a character, have obtained situa tions in the town, and are conducting themselves with great satisfaction to their employers; indeed, we have no difficulty in finding places for all who conduct themselves well while in the school. With such machinery as I have described already at work, 1 confidently make my.appeal to you for aid, in order that the advantages of the system may be fully developed. I presume that what the law allows-to be done at Aberdeen and Glasgow, may also be done here. Let the police have orders to convey all begging children to. the Soho-street Industrial Schools. There their cases will be inquired into and disposed of. Atter this, let the parents Wilo persist in sending out their children to beg, be punished. If the law will not permit punishment, a strong reprimand may, with some,. have the like effect. Why should not success, such-as that which has attended similar ef forts at Aberdeen and Glasgow, follow in Liverpool ? . • C 7 You may probably ask, where are the funds to be obtained for the support of the schools, particularly if their numbers are to be suddenly augmented by these means ? For my answer I refer to the note from Glasgow, before alluded to. The secre tary says, " We are very well off in point of funds. The public have seen the benefit conferred by the schools, and willingly come forward to support them." My trust, therefore, is, that Liverpool will not be behind Glasgow. The cause should really commend itself to every man's mind and conscience. Such schools do an immense amount of good, in a moral point of view, to a class hitherto sadly neglected; but, independent of this, the fact is, they will, in the end, be found extremely eco nomical. These children live upon the community, and it is very much cheaper to feed and educate them in such an esta blishment than to allow them to maintain themselves by beg ging, or by plunder, until they are found out. Then follow the expenses of prosecution, of their support in prison, and in some cases of transportation, after repeated convictions. — Yours, &c., JOSEPH HUBBACK, Honorary Secretary Liverpool Industrial (Ragged) Schools. 13, Brunswick-buildings, 31st December, 1850. THE COLUMN OF kritilre anti 31113rttrulture. The conversazione of the Chemist's Association, which is to be held at the Royal Institution, on Friday next, which must be pleasing to the well-wishers of this import ant society. It is not generally known that a most bene ficial, and to the public at large, a most valuable reform is being worked out by these Association of Chemists, in various large towns. No class of men have bad more serious interests entrusted to them, and who have, until lately, thought less of their duties than chemists and druggists.. Medical talent has received the most liberal patronage and the most fostering care ; it has, conse quently, attained an eminence in this country which the talents of its members fully entitle it to ; but vain is the chirurgeone' and the physicians' skill, and useless the carefully written prescription, if the dispensing chemist is either ignorant or careless. Could the sacrifice of human life from thiscausealone be correctly estimated, we believe it would both startle and horrify. Men lose their lives under the care of a clever physician—their diseases baffle his skill. How often does this arise from his reliance upon the quality of certain drugs which are supplied by another party vho has valued the articles by their cheapness rather than their goodness ? for, in nothing has that odious spirit of cheapness committed more mischief than in the drug market. Nothing is of more importance to the medical man than the vegetable portion of the Materia Medics. Yet, in what state has it been found amongst the druggists ? Vegetable powders, dependant upon their freshness, for those powerful qualities upon which the physician relies, have been kept for years, and, when used, have had no quality but that of fustiness ; and even their colour faded away, seeds and roots worm-eaten, and other matters in a similar condition. The cause of all this has been the not recognising the true position of the dispensing druggist ; and the fault has been as much on the part of the individuals themselves as on that of the public. The chemists and druggists, as a body, have now begun to discard that apathy which has hitherto been their disgrace, sinking them into the mere vendors, instead of their proper character, compounders of medicines. They have drawn together in bodies, composed of all those who have sufficient intelligence to appreciate their position and duties ; and those bodies have for their object the advance ment of their mental improvement and the progress of Pharamceutical Science. The Liverpool Chemists' Association has been particu larly fortunate; they have been permitted by that most liberal of all our local bodies, the Council of the Philoso phical Society, to use the lecture-rooms and museum of the Royal Institution, and also to have the use of an ex. cellent and commodious laboratory in that building. The Gardens Committee of the Town Council have also given a plot of ground in the Botanic Gardens for the culture of medical plants only, expressly for the use of the pharma ceutical and medical students. _ These are no mean advantages, and we hope they will be fully appreciated. Mr. Edwards, the able and energe tic secretary of the society, has laboured hard to develope the association, and his success has been most ample. We believe this Conversazione is the first which has been held by the Liverpool chemists, and we hope it will be as successful as that held by the Birkenhead Society. We are sure it cannot fail to be interesting. Several lec tures, and short discourses are to be given on various scientific subjects. The beautiful museum:will be thrown open ; added to which music and refreshments will add their cheering in fluences to make the evening a pleasure worthy of enjoy ment. PROFESSOR ANSTED AND HIS WORKS The recent visits of this gentleman to our town, and the delightful series of lectures which he delivered at the Collegiate and Mechanics' Institutions, offer a good op portunity of saying something of his professional charac ter, and also of his works, for we are sure they cannot be too well known. As a man of science, he is peculiarly one of the present age: alive to all the emergencies of the times, and keeping pace untiringly with the rapid strides of modern research and discovery : never despising trifles, or sparing trouble in surmounting difficulties. Above all, he is the philosopher and man of business combined, and in all his writings is purely practical. His best known work is his " Geology," in two volumes, of which it was truly said, in Jamieson's new Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, that " it affords the best view of English Geology hitherto produced." This work is now getting scarce, being nearly out of print. Next to this, is his " Elemen tary Course of Geology, Mineralogy, and Physical Geo logy," which we have no hesitation in saying is the most useful manual ever offered to a scientific student. We know of no work in any department of science which is so completely the pith and substance of what is sought by the learner, and at the same time it is a work which the most practised geologist or mineralogist would make his pocket companion when following his favourite pursuits ; and we can say of the mineralogical portion, that it is the first ever written upon the subject which will not frighten the beginner. We must next mention his " Ancient World," which—thanks to the good taste of his publisher, Mr. Van Vaorst—is worthy of mention both for its con tents, and the elegant style in which it is got up ; its an tique wooden binding harmonising so completely with primaeval history written in its pages. The "Ancient World" is a history of the fossil remains which the last century has brought to light, laying before the reader at a glance all that has been satisfactorily determined re specting those relics which are regarded with wonder and interest. The fascination of the subject has been much increased by the pleasing style of the author, and feeling of security derived from the absence of all theoretical matter and the author having confined himself to the re cord of established facts. The last of Professor Ansted's works which we shall mention is the " Gold Seeker's Manual." It is a perfect history of the precious metal, its native localities, its various mineralogical characters, and combinations : the various methods of collecting, reducing, and assaying it ; and even its uses as a circulating medium are all amply and ably treated. It may be called Califor nia's best friend. LIVERPOOL INFIRMARY.-ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the friends and supporters of the Liverpool Infirmary took place in the board-room at the Infirmary yesterday morning. The Rev. J. B. Moule was called to the chair. After the usual preliminaries,,_ ArrisEn Noire; Esq., read the following particulars re lative to the operations of the Infirmary, LunaticAsyluw, and Lock Hospital, during the past year : INFIRMARY. Patients admitted and discharged, from January Ist, 1850, t3:January•.lst, 1851 the house, Ist January, 1850, Admitted during the- year, Discharged Cared Relieved, and at own request Made out:patients Removed Died Patients- in the house, Tat January, 18-51 LUNATIC ASYLUM. Patients admitted and , discharged, from Ist January, 1850, to Tat January, 1851 : Patients -in the house, Ist January, 1350 7O Admitted from Ist January, 1850, to Ist January, 1851 32 137-2,443 Cured Friends'-request, returned Not improved Removed to county asylum and settlement Died MISCELLANEA At the next meeting of the Liverpool Polytechnic So ciety much interest is likely to be excited by the discussion which is to take place upon the Trish peat charcoal ques tion, Mr. Rogers, the originator of the scheme, having promised to be present. min, and a narrow berth fixed in one corner. The track through the forest leads up to his door, before which. AULD JEAN OF ADERGELDIE.—In the estate of Aber- stands a bit of paling, or a couple of hurdles, to sun his geldie, there lives an old woman known generally by the blankets on, if he takes this trouble to dispel the vermin. name of Auld Jean. Her Majesty, one day in passing, His mode of life is uniform to excess. When he arises did not fail to notice the strange appearance of the build- in the morning he smokes his short black clay pipe ; ing, which looked more like a potato pit than a house,, breakfast tardily appears, consisting of tea, damper, and from the many coatings of divot which had been laid on, a huge pile of mutton chops, if his is a sheep station, or and which had become green and grassy. Her Majesty salt beef if a cattle station. After breakfast he lights his entered the hut, which was to Jean, kitchen, parlour, bed- pipe again, and sallies forth on horseback. His dress room, and laundry, and offered to build her a more com - consists of! a broad-brimmed straw hat, a blue shirt, fus fortable house, by substituting stone and lime in place of tian or some such trowsers, supported by a belt round the stone and thrf, to which Jean replied, " Na, na, am no waist, and ankle boots ; his heels are armed with spurs, seekin' a new house ; a white house widna do wi' me. I while in his belt, or in his holsters, he probably has pis think an I had the ane' I had sortit, I would be braw tols. In his hand he carries the universal stock whip, enough." Her Majesty gave orders to get the house the handles a foot long, and the lash twelve or sixteen comfortably repaired. It is now a comfortable home for feet, and giving forth sounds that startle the silence of Jean. Her furniture being scarce, and so acted upon by the forest. During the day his pipe is relighted at every soot, smoke, and old age, that one would think that it hut or Ere-stick he passes, or if he sees none of these, he had undergone the thorough process ofjapanning;an offer has recourse to his flint and steel. Probably he is out was made to Jean. to make it all new, but Jean replied, till sunset without eating anything, and when he returns " A vow, weel await no ; I widna want my bed ava, for he sups, as he breakfasted, on damper and mutton chops, it was made afore Culloden, an' three pretty lords sleepit or salt beef, not both, but on one or the other, according in't fan they war coming hame." Jean's house being to the stocks he breeds. If at home to dinner his fare now finished., a number of her neighbours met on the 17th is the same ; and even if he calls on a neighbour ten or ultimo, to celebrate what is called in the Highlands of twelve miles off he finds no variety. Ten to one he has Scotland the " fire-kindling" of Jean's new house. The no books, or no taste for reading ; therefore he smokes old wnintin and her brother danced at the ball—the one his pipe till bedtime, and then turns in. The next day is aged eighty-seven, and the other eight?-four only a re petition of the one that went before.—llender- Akri.teen Herald. I son's Excursion; in Australia. In the house. Average weekly number in the house, C 9. LOCK HOSPITAL. In the house, Ist January, 1830 Admitted during the year Relieved, at own request Sent to Workhons ~ Penitentiary Benevolent House, Died In the house, Ist January, 1851 409 86 4 9 13 2 45-563 The financial statement not being prepared, was not read. The treasurer, however, stated that it would be satisfac tory in every respect but one ; he regretted that the annual subscriptions had decreased in the last year by the sum of 4500. The first resolution—which, with all that followed, will be found in another part of our impression —was proposed by R. HARBOBD, Esq., and seconded by C. W. READE, Esq. The second, proposed by Rev. Joux STEWART, and seconded by ROBERT HUTCHINSON, Esq., was com mented on both by the mover and the chairman, the Rev. J, II Monk. He regretted that Mr. Edward Gib bon was about to retire from the office of president —an office which he had discharged with the greatest energy and efficiency during a period of forty-two years. Mr- Gibbon's services were so well known and appreciated by the gentlemen present, that it would be unnecessary for him (the chairman), to dwell on them ; they had been so arduous and untiring, that he feared Mr. Gibbon's suc cessor would find himself in an invidious position. (Hear, hear). The third resolution was moved bir JAs. BOLD # Esq. and seconded by ARTHUR THOMPSON. HaNRY AlooaE, Esq. moved and J. CROPPER, Esq. seconded the fourth resolution. The fifth was moved by CHAS. WILSON, Esq. and se conded by J. BOLD, Esq. The sixth was moved and seconded by CHAS. LANGTON, Esq. and H. BANNER, Esq. ALFRED NORTH, EN., the treasurer, in proposing the seventh resolution—a vote of thanks to T. J. Tarlton Esq.—said that they sere aware a large donation hitA been made to the Institution during the year. T. D. Lewis, Esq., a gentleman formerly resident in Liverpool had, during his lifetime, given a sum of £lO,OOO between. seven institutions in the town : this munificent legacy was left to Mr. Tarlton, with a request so to dispose of it at his death. Mr. JAS. BOLD observed that the money came to Mr. Tarlton merely accompanied with the "request" to dis pose of it in that mode. Mr. NORTH continued : there was merely a written re quest as to the mode of its disposal ; it had been invested in dock bonds, and during the past year the president of the infirmary had communicated with Mr. Tarlton, who bad s'gnified his wish to have one seventh of the whole sum secured to the infirmary. In pursuance of this wish measures had been adopted for securing the sum of £1428 Ils Gd to the benefit of the infirmary. J. CROP PER, Esq. seconded the resolution. The Bth resolution was moved by Tuos. HOPE, Esq., seconded by C. W. READE, Esq. The next resolution—the appointment of J. Cropper, Esq.,_ as president for the ensuing year, was proposed by C. W. READE, ESQ., and seconded by W. M'CuAcKAN, Esq. The next resolution was moved by THOMAS BOURNE, Esq., and seconded by C. W. READE, Esq. The next resolution was moved by RICHARD Gaisom, Eiq., seconded by JOHN Boi 1), Esq. JOHN CROPPER, Esq., moved an alteration in law Bth. Dr. DICKENSON, in seconding the resolution, explained. the objects of the alteration. It was necessary that such an alteration be made, in order to render gentle men eligible, at any future election of physician, who, although in. every respect competent, might not come within the restrictions of the old law, which was obviously imperfect. The institution now held as rank second to none in the kingdom, and it was intend ed to render it as perfect as possible in every department. According to the old law not only were fellows of the Dublin College ineligible, but fellows of the College of Physicians of London. It was also intended to substitute the degree of Doctor of Medicine for that of Bachelor, as it at present stood, for the reason that the latter degree was obtainable after a comparatively superficial examina tion, while the former was not granted without good evi dence of the medical attainments of cendidates. Mr. NORTH observed that the object was merely to rec tify- an omission in the old law; the usual 15 days' notice had been given. _ On a recommendation being made that a committee be appointed to take into consideration the decrease in the annual receipts, The CHAIRMAN said, while he regretted the fact, it did not excite any great alarm in him, as he thought the fact of their being needy was a sure recommendation to the benevolence of the public. A gentleman observed that the other charitable institu— tions had increased their receipts during the past year. The vote of thanks to the chairman was proposed by Arthur Thompson, Esq., seconded by J. Cropper, Esq. TRAVELS OF MAHOGANY LOGS.-A correspondent has sent us some particulars of three fine logs of mahogany recently sold by auction in Liverpool. They were grown in St. Domingo. One of them was purchased for France, and sent, according to the French customs regulations, to Rotterdam, and thence to France. Another was pur chased at the same time in London, with a large parcel, forwarded by railway to Liverpool, shipped with a full cargo of mahogany to Alogador, and thence to Havre. From an error in the formalities of the papers, the cargo was not admitted in France, and had to be re-shipped to New York, and again imported from the United States to Havre, where the log was purchased by a Paris timber merchant, and cut into planks. These three logs, cut into planks, were selected for the embellishment of Ver sailles, and an enormous price paid for them ; but the French revolution prevented their original destiny, and they were bought on speculation for this market.— Builder. POPISH RELICS.—At Pembal we saw our Lady's oven, where annually a fire is kindled, a wafer baked, and a man, the Shadrach of the town, walks round the glowing oven and comes out unhurt and unsinged, by a special miracle of our Lady of Cardal. At Tho mar is a statue of St. Christopher on the bridge ; three grains of his leg, taken in a glass of water, are a sovereign cure for the ague ; and poor St. Christopher's legs are almost worn out by the extent of the practice. Torres Vedras is the place where Father Anthony of the wounds died—a man suspected of sanctity. The pious mob attacked his body, stripped it naked, cut off all his hair, and tore up his nails to keep for relics. I have seen relics of all the saints — yea, a thorn from the crown of crucifixion and a drop of the redemption blood.—Southey'a Life. A SQUATTER'S LIFE IN AUSTRALIA.—Lest the reader should not have formed a clear idea of the squatter's life, let me place it concisely before him. Removed from society, and the refinements of life, he becomes careless of his appearance and manners ; nay, he becomes heed less even of those comforts of life which are within his reach. With hundreds of cattle, he has no butter, or cheese, and very often no milk. With a rich soil around him, he has no garden ; not any vegetable or fruit to drive away the scurvy. With grain, he has no poultry ; with a gun he has no game ; with hooks and grasshop pers, he has no fish. Make a hole with your toe and throw a peach stone in, or drop one on the ground, and in three years it bears fruit ; stick a vine-cutting into the earth, and in fifteen or sixteen months clusters of fine grapes are hanging from its boughs ; and yet the squatter seldom does the one or the other. He certainly has good reasons for not making his station too attractive, but it cannot be denied that his life is often much more cheerless end comfortless than it need be. Few of the stations are adorned by a female. Wherever this is the case a great improvement is perceptible. The squatter's dwelling is frequently a hut no better than those of his men, with a bark roof, an earthen floor, a hotbed of ver