The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-27 00:00:00

REPORT.

The committee have to congratulate the subscribers to
this valuable charity upon its large and increasing useful-
ness and prosperity.
During the past year 68 patients have been admitted
into the infirmary, as in-patients, from Liverpool and tho
surrounding towns. Forfy-seven of these patients have
suffered from cataract, and the remaining twenty-one from
closed pupils, from dangerous injuries not admitting of
delay, and from other urgent diseases of the eye.
One hundred and thirty-one operations have been per-
formed during the Year-88 for the relief of cataract, and
the remainder for the formation of artificial pupils, squint,
and other minor d:seases not affecting vision so fatally as
cataract and closure of the pupil._ _
_ _

Of the cataract cases one only has been followed byfan
unfavourable result, the patient having become affected by
severe inflammation, which ultimately destroyed the eve,
in consequence of imprudently exposing herself to cold
almost immediately after the operation. Two patients
laboured under amarosis, as well as cataract, and there-
fore no vision was restored by the operation, although it
was judged right to give the sufferers a chance of obtain-
ing some additional amount of sight. With these excep-
tions the patients were either cured, or were advancing
favourably towards cure when discharged from the infir-
mary, as to leave their recovery merely a question of
time and of those who have thus shared the benefits of
the charity, many have been so completely restored as to
able to execute delicate work with a needle, whilst the
rest ha;-::' the comfort, in various degrees, of being able to
pursue their ordinary avocations, and to share in the
occupations and pleasures of those around them.
There:has been an increase in the number of out patients
also attending the Infirmary, the total number for disease
of the eye being 4,271, and for d!seases of the ear 1,391.
The eye patients have been prescribed for 17,288 times ;
and the ear patients 5,788 limes during the past twelve
months.

These few particulars will give some Idea of the large
amount of suffering which haq been alleviateci means of
this institution through the care and skill of the itZs°u .',ea,,
officers attached to it, and to whose zeal and attei2ti-„""
vonr committee have the greatest pleasure in test ifyin".•
The thanks of all are due to them, and it has been very
pleasing to mark the sense of gratitude which has been
frequently displayed by those who have benefitted by
their exertions.

A reference to the account will show that the funds
of the charity are in a satisfactory condition. This, how-
ever, is principally attributable to the receipt of several
liberal legacies and donations during the past year. The
subscription list does not increase, and you? committee
continue to recommend to the attention of the public the
claim of this valuable charity.
The committee gratefully acknowledge the receipt of
legacies from the Executors of the late Miss Myers, of
£lOO, less duty; of the late James Moor, ,e 100; of the
late Miss Twentyman, .€94 lOs ; of the late Mrs. Naylor,
.£5O.

Dr. Taylor moved that the accounts, with the report, be
printed and circulated ; and, in so doing, expressed the satis-
faction he felt at being able to announce the institution was in
so flourishing a condition.

This resolution was seconded by Dr. Poole, and unanimously
adopted.

On the motion of Mr. Langton, seconded by Mr. Campbell,
a vote of thanks was accorded to the Corporation of Liverpool
for a donation of £lOO presented to the institution, and also
to the other donors who had contributed to the institution.

Dr. Neil then moved a vote of thanks to the president, vice
president, and the committee of the institution, which was
seconded by Dr. Poole, and carried unanimously.
Mr. S. Holme then proposed a vote of thanks to the medical
officers of the institution for their services during the past year,
and moved that they be re .appointed for the current wear. He
said the public were much indebted to the medical gentlemen
of that and similar institutions of the town, for the time and
attention they devoted to its prosperity. tie also begged to
direct the attention of the public to this institution, and the
necessity of the subscriptions being augmented.
Mr. Livingstone seconded the proposition which was unani-
mously adopted..
A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the business of
the meeting.

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHIC COMPANY.—The directors
of the Electric Telegraph Company have resolved to reconi-,
mend a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum at
their half yearly meeting on the .sth of February.
AN AMBASSADOR BEFORE THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.—
The " solemn reception," as it is called, of the Persian
Embassy, took place on Saturday at the Tuileries, at
two o'clock, and passed off to the satisfaction of all
parties 'engaged. The ambassador and his suite arrived
at the Tuileries in three state coaches, drawn by six
horses, plentifully garnished with decorations and splendid
outriders, footmen as glorious as the rising sun proudly
adding brilliancy to the cortege. The ambassador himself
was a perfect miracle of gold, embroidery, fur, and cash-
mere, recalling to an English mind recollections of
Astley's heroes, and reminisences of the Lord Mayor's'
Show. As he advanced towards' the Emperor to
present the speech he had prepared, all eyes seemed
dazzled by the brilliancy of his garments. The
Emperor, however, is, of course, too much accustomed
to European splendour to be moved by Asiatic magnifi-
cence. He received the Persian Envoy with the grand
calm befitting his high and dignified position. The speech
at an end, he replied to Feruk Khan in what a courtly
reporter would call " appropriate terms," and then pre.,
sented the Oriental to the Empress. This ceremony gone
through, the Ambassador made his salaams, withdrew to
his coach, and passed out of the court, whete a large
crowd of the idle and curious had gathered to see him.
Persia, its manners and customs, its institutions, its laws,
and its people, is at present the talk in polite society, now
that the infant Prince is cured of his cold, and the Queen
of Spain has recovered from her measles.

PUBLIC PETITIONS.—A return moved for by the late Mr.
Brotherton. M.P., and ordered last July, shows that
between 1785 and 1788, 9880 petitions were presented to
the house of Commons ; between 1801 and 1806, 1028 ;
between 1811 and 1814-15, 4498; and between 1828 and
1832, 23,283. In the last quinquennial period, 10,615
petitions were printed at a cost of £5813. The number of
petitions presented between 1833 and 1837 was 37,183. and
the number printed 8361 ; between 1837.8 and 1842,
70,072, whereof 4837 were printed ; between 1813 and
1847, 81,985, whereof 4463 were printed; and between
1847 48 and 185'2, 62,248, whereof 6963 were printed. The
number of signatures in each of the above quinquennial pe-
riods was, respectively, 12,118,213 ; 23,450,909 ; 17,275,981
and 12,062,632. 971 reports were made by the Select
Committee on Petitions. In the five years ended in 1856
there were 51,093 petitions presented (13,867 last year),
and 6778 printed. The number of sig iatures to these
petitions was 8,439,667, and the number of reports male
by the select committee 315. The amount paid for printing
and folding reports, appendices, and indices to reports on
public petitions, from 1833 to 1852 inclasive, was £23,881,
the average varying from £lO6O to £1463 a year. The
more frequent reports of the committee, to meet the wishes
of hon. members, increase the expense. In the five years
ending 1856, £6691 was paid for printing and folding
reports, appendices, and indices to reports on public peti-
tions, including £1340 in the session of 1856. Between
1852 3 and 1856 the total expense of printing and folding
amounted to £5883, and the expense of paper to £1876 ;
making a grand total of £7760. There is a great increase
in the price of paper.
A BURGLAR'S DESCENT THROUGH A CHIMNEY.-011
Tuesday night last, Mr. Robert Bradley, a respectable
farmer, of Ryton, near Shiffnal, Shropshire, together
with his wife, family, and their servants, retired to rest
about their usual time. About two o'clock they were all
suddenly awoke by a noise which' appeared to shake the
house. Mr. and Mrs Bradley immediately got up, and
upon opening their bedroom door perceived a strong smell
of soot. They then went down stairs, and found that
several-doors in the house which were shut and fastened
when they went to bed, were now open. After looking
through the house, and not finding any one, and
nothing being displaced, except a great deal of soot
lying on the kitchen fire aad hearth, they came to the
conclusion that a brick must have fallen down the chim-
ney, dislodged the soot, and caused the noise which dis-
turbed them. They egain retired to rest, to be again
aroused about five o'clock by a servant lad informing
them that when he opened the kitchen door to go out to
the horses a man jumped from underneath a table and
rushed by him out of the house. Pursuit was made, but
fruitlessly. It-was subsequently found that the burglar
had managed to get on the roof by means of a cord with
a hook at the end, which caught under the tiles, and then
climbed up the rope (or nrobably a light rope ladder)
on to tho roof, and the-n to the chimney, which he
descended to the kitchen. There bad been a larger
fire than usual made. in consequence of it going
out the night before. The fellow, in getting through the
aperture of the iron arch plate at the back of the grate,
must have brought his legs in contact with the iron -card,
which must have kept him in the unpleasant position of
lying on a warm kitchen fire much longer than he intici-
pated or found pleasant, for in struggling to extricate
himself a pistol which he hal in his possession was dis-
charged, and the charge (lead slugs) passed through the
sheet iron bottom of the fender, and lodged in the quarry
floor underneath.—Staffordshire Advertiser.