Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-18 00:00:00

THE COURT.

OSBORNI, WEDNISDAT.—The Prince,Consort and the
Prince of Wales went out shooting yesterday morning.
Prince Arthur went over to Alverbank, to visit Prince
Alfred. The Queen and Prince Consort drove out in the
afternoon, accompanied by Princess Alice, Princess Helena,
and Prince Leopold. The Prince of Wales rode on horse-
back. Sir James Scarlett and the Rev. G-. Prothero dined
with her Majesty. Miss Sasaa Durant submitted to her
Majesty a marble bust of his Highness Tousson Pacha,
son of the Viceroy or Egypt.

ERRATA.—In our first leading article of yesterday, in the
first paragraph fifteenth line, for "permanently," read
" pre-eminently."
LEWIS AND COIIPANY'a NEW EETABLISNMENT FOR BOY'S
OLOTHING.—NuIabet of boys clothed for the week ending
Saturday, December 12th 765; corresponding week last
year, 436; increase, 329.
STANLEY LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY. —This society
held its usual weekly meeting on Wednesday evening last,
at their rooms, Bible Repository, Slater-street, Mr. Geo.
Barnes in the chair, when the adjourned debate on the
question, "Ought the Maine Liquor Law be enacted in
England," was opened by Mr. Daniel, followed by Messrs
Ellis, Griffiths, Sherlock, and Morris, and was decided in
the negative by the casting vote of the Chairman.
"BOOKED FOR SAFETY."—An elderly man, who gave the
name of Ebenezer "furls, was brought up yesterday at
the Police-office, before Mr. Dixon, charged with
having been drunk on Waterloos-road the previous night.
The bridewell keeper said when the prisoner was brought
in, there was a sum of £BO in bank notes in the pocket of
his outside coat. He said he was a joiner returned from
Australia ; but from some documents found on him, it was
supposed he was doing business some where as a doctor.
He was discharged.
Cu RISTMAS PREPARATIONS.—Amongst the many " knights
of the steel and cleaver," -who cater with all their skill
and energy to feast not only the stomachs but the eyes of
their patrons in the good old town at the approaching
festive season, none is more deserving of commendation
than Mr. John Williams, the noted extensive shipping
butcher, of Mersey-street, near the Custom House and
Salthouee Dock, who has succeeded after much exertion,
and in the face of very great opposition, in procuring two
of the most beautiful animals of the pure Hereford breed
ever seen in this town. They aro both of a dark brown
colour, with small white heads and short horns, and for
beauty of symmetry are unrivalled. One was bred and
fed by Henry Gibbons, Esq., of Hampton Bishop, was
four years old the 13th November last, and his owner
received the 50 guineas prize for him at the last great
Cattle Show. The other, by Samuel Heaford, Lord of the
Manor of Moorend, Weston Buzzard, near Hereford,
who received 20 guineas for his exhibition at the same
show. The animals will not be slaughtered till Monday
next, and their carcases will be exposed to view on Tues-
day, at his shop, 43, Mersey-street.
HISTORIC SDCIETY.—The scientific section of this Society
met last night, in the Grand Jury Room, St. George's
Hall, Mr. Stevens in the chair. The following contri-
butions were received :—Report of the proceedings of the
Geological and Polytechnic Society of the West Riding,
ter 1856-7 ; proceedings of the Royal Geographical
Society, No. ix, 1857; Address at the Anniversary Meeticg
of same Society, May 25th, 1857, by Sir R. J. Murchison,
president ; Mouthy Notices of the Revel Astronomica 1
Society, from November, 1355, to July, 1856 ; and
Memoir of the same Society, for the Session 1855-6 ; from
the Author. Ferdinand do T.c.epe, Inquiry into tho
opinions of the Commercial Classes of Great Britain on
the Suez Ship-canal. Mr. W. T. Bean exhibited 85 species
of rare British plants. The following gentlemen were
unanimously elected members of the Society :—lvie
Mackie, Esq., Mayor of Manchester ; Sir James Watts,
ex-Mayor of Maachester ; Mr. T. D. Anderson, India
Buildings, Water-street ; Rev. W. H. Coates, West
Kirkby, Cheshire ; Mr. W. G. Bradley and Mr. F. Bradley,
Bold-ets eat. The paper for the evening was by Mr. C. S.
Gregeon, "On the Lepidoptera of the Liverpool District."
The paper embodied the results of Mr. Gregsoe's
labours, iu this branch of science, and he observed that
with such a list at hand he could have done in, two
years what it had taken him 20 years to accomplish.
The thanks of the Society were unanimously voted to
Mr. Gregron:
ASSOCIATIOL—The usual fortnightly meeting
of this association was held last night, at half-past seven
o'clock, in the Royal Institution. Mr. Evans, who occu-
pied the chair, said the first business of the evening was a
vary unpleasant one. He was sure they would alt regret
to hear that their excellent secretary was about to resign.
He then read the following resolution : "The Council
with great regret received an intimation from the honorary
secatery, Mr. Nathan Mercer, that he wished to resigc,
his health being such, as to prevent him from retaining
the office, in addition to his other engagements. The
council desire to express their high sense of the value of
Mr. Mercer's services, and request that he will continue
thorn until they are able to relieve him bye successor." (Ap-
plause.) Mr. Mercer greatly regretted his being obliged to
give up his office, but he was greatly gratified at the
manner with which they have received the resolution,
especially from those who ware best able to form an idea
of his services, and whom he had been so long amongst.
(Applause.) Mr. Barber put the question to the chairman
whether the F.R.S. attached to Dr. Muspratt's name was
correct, as belonging to the Royal Society. The Chair-
man said the question had bean asked several times
before, and they had written to the secretary of that asso-
cia ion, and had got a reply stating that Dr. Muspratt was
not a allow of the Royal Society. Dr. Thompson said that
Dr. Muspratt was a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The E was left out, he thought, in a mistake. They would
find the same thing in the Necropolis, where the doctor
had the misfortune to bury a child. It was the mistake of
the stone-cutter in leaving out the E. The Chairm n : We
got a note from Dr. Muspratt, with a lithographed
heading, where the same mistake 'occurred, if
it was a mistake. It might be a printer's mistake
Mr. Mercer exhibited one of Wessel's gas-heat dissemi-
nators for warming rooms. The superiority of this appa-
ratus consisted in the efficiency and economy with which
it consumes the gas. Its advantages were the perfect
combustion of the gas, and, at the same time, free from
any disagreeable smell ; it also disseminated a large
amount of warm air. The products of combustion, as
compared with ordinary gas stoves, was materially less-
°nee in consequence of the peculiar construction of the
barner, by which the flame, from a small supply of gas,
was brought into contact with a large amount of air.
Mr. Mercer also exhibited a dry gas regulator.
The Secretary afterwards rose and said the Board of Inland
Revenue had granted permission to use methylated spirit in
pharmaceutical preparations. Government had ordered
certain medicines to be prepared at the Apothecaries'
Hell with it. The question had been raised, in what case
this might be used without injury to the quality of
medicines. As the College of Physicians was the
authority in such cases, Mr. Bell, the President of
the Pharmaceutical Sec:ety, made a communication
on the subject to the College, and the result
was the isaning of the following minutes. "Royal College
of Physicians, November 25th, 1857. The Censors of the
Royal College of Physicians having learned that in the
manufacMre of tinctures, and some other preparations of
the Pharmacopmia, it has latterly become the practice of
certain druggists and manufacturers, to use methylated in
the place of pure opiris, hereby declare their disapproval
of such an unauthorised departure from the instructions
laid down in the Pharmacopoeia" Another minute to
the sime eff et, was issued from the Censor's Board,
and transmitted to the Board of Inland Revenue.
Dr. Thompson said that he would not offer any opinion
upon tinctures so prepared, but regretted that the College
of Physicians should have condemned the use of myths-
latad spirit, just because the pharmacopmia did not
authorise it.. lie would rather that they had appointed
members of their own body to inquire into the character
of the tinctures so made. Dr. E iwards then proceeded to
give tie third lecture, on heat, fuel, ((yuccas, combustion
of gases,