The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-19 00:00:00

lIISTORTC SOCIETY.

The sixth ordinary meeting of the session was held last night
in St. Georges Hall. The usual ballot for new members took
place, when the following gentlemen were elected members :
Captain Campbell, R.A., North Battery ; S. Cartright, Esq.,
Preston ; Rev, Thomas Corser, M.A., Manchester ; Henry
Erard, E,q., Canning street; Thomas Holden, Esq., Smith-
field, Bolton ; Philip Younker, Esq., Ashleigh, Everton ;
Thomas Beebey Mosley, Esq , English and Irish Telegraph
Company ; Robert Townley Parker, Eq., M.P., Cuerdon
Hall, Preston. The Secretor.), then mentioned that these gen-
tlemen made thirty—two members who had been added to the
society within the months of November and December. So
large an accession of new and valuable members had not been
obtained in any similar period since the establishment of the
society. Donations ; Amongst the donations laid on the table
were 8 volumes of the Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society---8 to 15 inclusive. From the Royal Society,
Edinburgh, their proceedings for 1853, 4,5, and 6. William
Rundell presented three specimens of steam -boiler
incrustations. One from the steamer Iron Duke was
extremely hard. A specimen from the Persia teas large,
and showed the interval between two tubes as an extensively
compact stony deposit. It was not stated from what ship the
third specimen was obtained ; it differed much in texture and
appearance from the other two. A paper was read by J. I'.
Wilkinson, F.R.A.S, on some fossil flees recently discovered
at Burnley; the writer, after alluding to the luxuriant flora
which such remains indicate, and the certainty that they
actually grew upon the site on which they were found,
described the principal localities of their occntrence. Mr.
Moore exhibited a large number of ornithological specimens
from various countries. They wore of the finest plumage,
and of all countries, and contained the rarest spetimens.

SERIOUS OUTBREAK IN CRIATIA.—SeriOt S collisions
between the populace and the authorities are rumoured to
have taken place in Croatia. In 1848 the Austrian go-
vernment promised that certain ecclesiastical and seignoral
taxes :thould be abolished. The government now seeks to
enforce the tenth on wine, and the agitaion among the
peasantry in consequence has assumed a serious aspect.
FIVE PERSONS DROWNED.—A lamentable event occurred
in Shetland, on the 29th ult. In a boat which was pro-
ceeding from Lerwick to Bressay, were six persons, vfz,,
William Duncan, fisherman, Hoverstay ; his sons James
and Francis ; Peter Hunter, sailor; and two girls, Margaret
and Ann Smith, cousins of the Duncans. James Duncan
was very much intoxicated. After the boat had gone
some distance on its homeward voyage, James Duncan dis-
covered that he had forgotton a basket and some other
things in Lerwick, and immediately ordered la's father to
put the boat about and return to Lerwick. This he refused
to do. The young man then attempted to pull the boat
back acrainst the efforts of the others, but, of course, failed.
Peter HU fer then got hold of him, and held him down for
a few minutes ; but immediately on letting him 'go he
sprang towards his father, and attempted to strike him. In'
the commotion thus occasioned, the boat was upset, and,
sad to say, only one out of six on board the boat was saved.
Hunter succeeded in getting on board. Only three of the
bodies, including that of James Duacan, had been recovered
since the accident.