The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-07 00:00:00

PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY.

Tha usual monthly meeting of the Photographic Society
was held in the Royal Institution at eight o'clock last night
The chair was taken by Mr. Corey.
Mr. Mercer exhibited a photograph of a very remarkable
kind, taken, of the bottom of the sea, in Weymouth Bay.
The photograph was taken eighteen feet below the surface of
the water by the Collodion process. Mr. Thompson, of
Weymouth, was the gentleman who made this singular
experiment.
Mr. Bell directed attention to the method of removing the
film from glass, and exhibited specimens of very successful
removals of pictures.
Mr. Rollison exhibited specimens of his patent process for
removing negatives from glass, which he explained to the

By Mr. Duncan : I think we pay 2d per ton on coal.
By Mr. Bouverie : The total charges on deals in Liver.
pool is about 20s or so per std., and in London 22s tid.
By Mr. Vance : It was contemplated to have a line o
steamers between Liverpool and St. John's, but the idea
had been given up for the time.
By Mr. Watson: Their timber trade had increased
during the past two or three years.
By Mr. Bouverie : He had not exported timber or
deals to any other port than Liverpool last year.
Mr. Henry Fernie, of the firm of Fernie Brothers and
Co., Liverpool, on being called, stated, that his firm were
the agents for the last witness, and several other parties
in New Brunswick, who shipped timber and deals to
Liverpool. His firm had paid £1,250 last year as Town
Dues on timber and deals inwards, and .£250 on shipments
outwards. In all, £1,500. The total amount of Lives-
pool Town Dues paid last year by New Brunswick must
exceed .1,000.
By Mr. Horsfall: The above amounts were paid by
them on account of the importers. The charge on cargoes
of timber and deals landed in London, are rather higher
than in Liverpool, but this is mainly caused by the dis-
charge of the cargoes being entirely under the control of
the dock companies, which is not the case in Liverpool.
By Sir John Duckworth: He believed the last witness
used to import timber and deals into other ports than
Liverpol and London, but had not done so lately. Last night the Rev. Hugh Stowell Brown delivered a
By Sir S. Northcote: Liverpool has atracted trade lecture "On Russian Proverbs," in the Craven Rooms,
from other ports by the circumstance of outward cargoes
Birkenhead. There was a very numerous and respectable
of salt and other rough goods being had there, and this
had always led to inward freights for timber and deals attendance, and the proceeds went in aid of the Hamilton
being lower than to other ports. At times, when salt Square Chapel Branch School. After the divine blessing
freights out to the United States were very low, the
custom was for shipowners to take salt on ship's account. had been invoked by the Rev. Mr. Mann,
In this way an outward cargo would always he hail, and The Rev. Lecturer proceeded with his discourse. He
this was kept in view by shipmasters in chartering commenced by vindicating the use and study of Proverbs
abroad for Liverpool in preference to other ports. against the sneer of the celebrated Lord Chesterfield, who
By Mr. Lowe :He came there not to express his own said that no gentleman ever used a proverb, and declared
opinions respecting the Town Dues, but to corroborate that for his part he would rather read a book of proverbs
Mr. Morrisey's statement as to the amount paid by New than a book of sermons. Indeed he held that in many
Brunswick, and the feeling entertained there by the
cases there would be found more of the spirit of the Gospel
shippers respecting this tax. lie would not assume
that the Town Dues had been so_oppressive asjto stop the in proverbs, even in those of heathen nations, than in dis-
trade. courses on divinity, aptly enforcing his assertion by the
By Mr. Horsfall : Considerable accommodation had Proverb, "by the vicar's skirts the devil got into the
been given by the dock committee to the timber trade at belfry." He argued that there was much wisdom and
Liverpool, and other new docks were now in preparrtion practical economy conveyed in the proverbs most common
for its further accommodation. among the people, such as " stitch in time saves nine,"
Mr. S. Blackwell, of Birmingham, said he was engaged and argued that it would be well if their import were more
very largely in the iron manufacture in connection with studied and felt. He referred to the statement of Lord
two firms ; and also attended to represent the South Bacon, that the national proverbs of a country showed the
Staffordshire iron masters. The Liverpool Town Dues character of the people, and observed that this remark
bore very disadvantageously on their trade. Their export aimed force from the fact, that though there were
trade with America was carried on through Liverpool and g
Birkenhead, and on all Town Dues were paid. The dues numbers of proverbs common all the world over, yet
on exports he estimated £5,003 per year. Another great in every country they were couched in such language
disadvantage was the dues on imports. In consequence as clearly 'indicated the temper, habits, usages, &c.,
of the great quantity of coal over iron, in South Stafford- of each people. Among those proverbs which were thus of
shire, they were obliged to import very large quantities common use, was one, above all, had an universal application,
of hematite ore from Lancashire and Cumberland, which namely, " Men are very generous out of other peoples'
was shipped at Whitehaven and landed at Runcorn, money," or, as the French proverb better expressed it,
Ellesmere, or Garston, on which the Town Dues were 3i. i, Broad thongs are cut out of other peoples' leather." The
per ton. Such had been the effect of' the competition, illustration, te lecturer observed, would be found in the
that many large contracts for pipes, which had hereto- /
government offices in Dawning-street, and declared that the
fore gone to South Staffordshire, had recently been taken - •
to Middlesbro'-on-the-Tees. The South Staffordshire iron creed of every official there, from the Prime Minister down
trade had sprung up since the Liverpool charter was
to the lowest door-porter, might thus be summarised:—
obtained, so that the charge could not have been origin- " Firstly, I believe that the people were made for us; and
ally contemplated. secondly, I believe that we were elected and ordained for the
By the Chairman : Had the dues remained in the hands express purpose of doing as little as we can, as badly as we
of the crown, he thought, they would have been levied on can, and as expensively as we can." (Laughter). Truly,
principles of public policy, and that it is not good policy indeed, might the offices in Downing-street hang out as a
to tax the raw material. sign " Broad thongs cut out of other peoples' leather here."
The witness then stated that he was also a large pro- (Laughter). Municipal governments, he observed, were of
prietor of Welsh colleries ; when in full work he should
the same shop, wherein the business was conducted on the
rise 1000 tons a-day. He looked on Birkenhead as the
and complained of the same principle, but not so liberally or extensively. For
Townace of
Dues, 2d export.
per ton. The m for these coals,ineral value of the coal, instance, he said, did not the Liverpool corporation " cut a
broad thong out of other peoples' leather, last fall, when
supposing he leased his royalty, would be 4d. per ton, so
they expended so manic - hundreds of pounds on the most
that the Town Dues amounted to 50 per cent.
By Mr. Gibson: It was considered by the Staffordshire matchless tomfoolery that was ever seen in any savage
iron merchants that Liverpool had no equitable claims country, for he could scarcely speak of civilisation in such a
whatever to tax them. They derived no benefit from matter. (Laughter). The lecturer quoted many other
they
ye
suffer. Among
ptthily
Liverpool, and received no consideration for the amount proverbs, illustrative of government extravagance, &e.,
levied. The feeling was very strong against it, and a very
numerously-signed petition would be presented by them
to the House of Commons. expressed the e
By Mr. Vance: Was not of opinion that a petition, and pointed outvils hhonwderinwhtilicehm
was—" A con upt judge feels the right side of
praying for the repeal of the assessed taxes, would also of this truth,.
the Russian proverbs which he quoted, as illustrative
be numerously signed. The ground on which the pet i-descriptive of o ression, ur ed how
boners rested was the statement of the Corporation of it, and other proverbs
ppshould g
his pocket ;" and, in commenting on the moral contained in
Liverpool, that they were not bournd to expend the thankful the people of these kingdoms be for the
dues for the benefit of the port; th y complained that liberty and freedom of expression of opinion enjoyed by
they had no consideration in return for the tax. p
By Mr. Horsfall : Did not consider that in making this which might be described as the " freedom of the press,,,
statement he was advocating the principle of centralise. them. He ointed out how, without this latter lieerty,
France, thouh outwardly tranquil, and pacified by material
tion, unless the receiving a consideration for a tax levied
meant centralisation.there uld be no hope, he argued, for a
that it was so • for c ,
Mr. Pearson, merchant and exporting agent, of Liver- , ,
g Awith bread and cheese. He would
pool, said he was not a freeman, and therefore had to pay prosperity, was at heart sullen and disturbed, and rejoiced
i nation that was satisfied .
Town Dues on all the goods he imported or exported. He I much rather, he satd, that the French people
after revolution—erect
contributed to the Town Dues five or six times as much would dare revolution
under
as he did to the local rates levied by the corporation. barricade after barricade, and pull down. gov!rnment after
Had lost one portion of his agency business, that of ) government, than that they should remain quiescent .
But while
export to the East Indies, from the goods being now the despotism which at present oppressed them.
exported from London instead of Liverpool, and he attri- thus speaking of the government of other .people, the
buted this diversion to some extent to the Town Dues. lecturer did not overlook the evils of our own system, but
By Mr. Horsfall : Was not aware that the outward equally strongly denounced them among those ofour laws
freights .' generally to the East were higher from London
than Liverasthefruitful
Liverpool. They might be on some occasions, but being e laws."
not generally. the game
which he most condemned
By DI
r. 1.1 r. Watson : Formerly paid £l5 to £2O per year
assembly were
the close of his discourse, the thanks of the
for these Town Dues.
By the Chairman: The corporation gave no return for . The rev. lecturer was applauded most rapturousl, and at
vo'.ed by acclamation to him.

meeting.
Some specimens of albumen stereoscopes teken by Mr.
Ferries were shown by Mr. Forrest.
A paper was read by Mr. Mercer on the process of
recovering silver from old hypo, and cyenide of silver.
A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Mercer for the infor-
mation contained in his paper.
The Chairman read a paper descriptive of the Actino-
hydrometer as a means of ascertaining the strength of
various chemicals.
After a conversation on this paper, and thanks being
voted, the business closed.

THE REV. HUGH STOWELL BROWN ON
PROVERBS."