Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-20 00:00:00

CHEMISTS' ASSOCIATION.

This Society met in the Royal Institution last night, the
President, Mr. H. S. Evans, in the chair. Mr. John
Mulles was elected a member, and Messrs. W. Whittaker
and G. Rawlend-, associates, The President placed on the
table a specitwet of Syrian Scammony. The Secretary
exhibited two Patent Bottles, in which the stoppers were
fastened by a spring-lock, and were presented to the
Museum by Mr. George Thompson.
Mr. ABRAHAM read the following letter, which he had
received from Dr. Muspratt, accompanied by a request
that he would read it to the Society :
Dear Sir,—lt appears from the experiments of Dr.
Mallock (who was formerly my pupil, and is, I am proud
to say, now one of the leading chemists in the metropols),
that the present methods of conducting a water analysis
ara nit rly erroneous, and I gladly confirm him in the view
he 'takes; namely, that. all river and • catchment waters
(e.g. the Rivington water), are contaminated with decaying
organic matter; which evolves, even at the common tens-
perature—fetid poisonous gases, the true nature of which
we are in utter ignorance about ; however, from the well-
known influence of these exhalations in producing certain
zymotie diseases, we miy assume them to be much more
deleterious than either sulphide or phosphide of hydrogen,
or sulphide of ammonium. Now, as Medlook finds
these gases escape at the ordinary temperature,
it follows as a matter of course that in evaporating
half a gallon of water to dryness, as is ordinarily
dote in analysing water, they will all be dissipated with
the steam and elude detection, consequently, the organic
=Atter remaining after drying at 248°, affords no indica-
tion of the quantity of malarious matter originally present!
since, on ignition, chlorides of magnesium and sodium are
volatilised, mad nitrates decomposed, so the loss of weight
experienced cannot possibly represent the quantity of
organic matter contained in the water. Afedlock has proved
that by boiling a water the greater part of the organic
matter is decomposed, and that which remains is car-
bonaceous and noc-petrescible. I can fully establish his
results by my own. Dr. Medlock's deductions are most
important, as they will entirely revolutionise the " Chemis.
try of Water." He states, and justly, that '= the opinions
feundefl on ordinary analyses, which are made with the
'view of Jeierrniuiog Cro3 Atn”9 of a water for dirtOiq
purpo.e,, are utterly worihiees." PiaYair and others givd
0.98 grains of organic matter in a gallon of the Pike water.
There is at least four times this quantity, and of such a
nature as to render it totally unfit for drink, whatever
some chemists may say au contraire.

The paper for the evening wag a lectnro, by Dr. Edwards,
upon neat, in its relation. to Phwrnmey.

At LEWIS & OMPANY'S. Ranelagla-street.
BOYS are CLOTHED from the Ages of Six to TwetityYeaTs.

The poet Burns being in church one Sunday; and
having some d fficulty in procuring a seat, a young lady
wi o perceived him, kindly made way for him in her pa v,
Zhu subject of tee discourse was the terrors of the Jaw as
denounced again the unbelieving sinner, in proof of which
the preacher referred to several passagei of Scripture, do
ail of which the lady seemed very attentive but somewhat
agitr,ted. The poet, on perceiving this, wrote with a
pencil on a leaf in her Bible, the following lines :—•
• Fair maid. you need not take the hint,
Nor idle tests pursue,
'Tway only sinners that he meant,
Not angels such as you.

to Twenty' Years Exe;us!vely for CLOTHING BOYS front Six
LEWIS 86 compairy , rtanelaga•sugg

MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL.

LIVERPOOL, Thursday Evening.

There is no change to notice in commercial
affairs. Business continues dull, and prices of
leading articles of trade are unchanged. The
Weekly Court of Directors •of the- Bank of Eng-
land separated without any alteration in the rate
of discount. The Governors of the Bank are said
to have had under consideration to-day, an applica-
tion for assistance from a large firm. The Money
Market does not improve, as te demand continues
very active. Full rates of discount are insisted
upon. Messrs. A. F. and D. Mackay, in their
circular, dated this evening, make the following
remarks upon the state of monetary affairs 'in the
United Kingdom. •

At the date or otir last we were in *hat might not
unfairly be called the first stage of a pecuniary fever
since that period we have experienced the full shock of the
paroxysm, and a state of lassitude corresponding to the
previous excitement has ensued. The day before the issue
of our last circular saw the Bank of England, at the bidding
of rapacious capitaliws, raise the rate of discount to nine
Per cent., and three days afterwards the same influences,
and the same agency further increased the rate to 10 per
cent. The ostensible object of this measure was to prevent
the drain of bullion from the coffers of the Bank ; but
events soon demonstrated that whatever the pretext, the
result did not .keep pace with the pretended object. The
stock of bullion was reduced so low, that a threatened
demand on the part of the Scotch Banks to call for gol3 in
exchange for Bank of England notes and public securities,,
effected what ministers and currency doctors pronounced to
be impossible, and what the Bank Directors has for years
proclaimed to be fraught with ruin. It brought about a sus-
pension of the iniquitous Bank Restriction Act of 1844 ; and
simultaneously with that suspension the troubles which had
agitated the money market, and precipitated many deserv-
ing individuals into the vortex of ruin, were calmed. The
general business of the country, which, during the early
part of yesterday week, and for some time previous, WAS at
a stand, was suddenly set in motion. True, the extent of
action was but small, still it was a wonderful and grati"ying
improvement on what, up to the moment referred to, bad
existed ; and men, ever prone to seize upon the most pro-
mising feature, of what to them is life or death in a com-
mercial sense, indulged freely for a time in the hope that
the worst had come and passe :I away. Reflection, how-
ever, has, in the minds of the best thinkers in the commu-
nity, thrown doubt over this pleasing anticipation. All
agree that the evil day has been staved off, but many feel
convinced that its ultimate effects must stil be encountered,
and at a disadvantage, and that even in modified degree
these effects will be hazardous if not oppressive. Uncer-
tainty in relation to all business transactions has taken
place of the promised confidence—no one places reliance
on the supposed resources of' another—every one seems,
and feels, as if he stood entirely by himself, and to talk
of a healthy or robust condition of commercial relations
under such circumstances is felt to be a mockery,
if not something worse. The question is indignantly asked
on all hand., and that, too, by men little eddic ecl to com-
plaint, why or by what means have we beeu reduced to
such a state of mercantile imbecility ? One, and only ore,
answer is breathed on all sides. The anomalous position.
of our commercial arrangements is unanimously attributed
to that false system of legislation, by which the whole
monetary proceedings of this great commercial empire are
left in the hands of a bullionist oligarchy, who have an
interest, as the law gives them the power, to tamper with
our pecuniary condition—now extending and now limiting
the amount of our circulating medium as best suits their
collective into eats and profits. This is a state of affairs
which it is generally agreed cannot be permitted to con-
tinue. The discretionary power vested in the executive to
step in and abrogate the unwholesome advantages conferred
on the moneyoeracy—itself an acknowledgement that the
law is wrong—has twice been called into operation within
the limited period of ten years; but on loth occasions not
before .the country was on the brink of bankrupcy, if
not also of revolution, engendered mainly by the
operation 'cf this law. Is this fact not of itself
sufficient to prove the inefficiency and detrimental character
of our whole monetary policy ? The law provides for and
assumes that, at all times, the Bank shall retain in its
coffers gold and public securities to an amount nearly equal
to the extent of its natcs in circulation. This halcyon
state of affairs has never yet been found to exist. The
Bank (of course we mean the Bank of England,) when
called on in any great emergency, has always been found
wanting; and tojudge of the future by the past, it always
will be found wanting, until an entire change shall have
been effected in the system, whereby gold, like other arti-
cles of merchandise, shallbe free to obey the laws which
regulate supply and demand. Parliament is to meet in
the course of a few days, avowedly to pass an indemnity
to ministers for that breach of the law, which the im-
perfection of the law i'self rendered imperative. This will
be done as a matter of course ; but it is to be hoped the
legislature will not separate for even a brief period, without
initiating some measure by which our monetary legislation
will ultimately be placed on a rational and firm basis.
Trifling with the commercial interests of this country for
the benefit of a few, cannot, and it is to be hoped will not,
be longer tolerated.

The Cotton Market has been dull to-clay, but
prices are pretty well supported. The sales were
about 2,000 bales, including a few hundreds for
export.

The Liverpool Share Market was inactive to-day,
and rather lower prices, were paid ; but as the
afternoon wore on, a slightly improved tone
'was perceptible. The following were the day's
transactions :-Birkenhead, Lancashire, and
Cheshire, 621; Eastern Counties 10 9-16; East
Lancashire, 89 ; *Lancashire and Yorkshire, 901
90, 89k, 891, 891; 891; London and North-Western,
941, 941, 94, on, 94, 931; Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire', 35, 35i, 351; Midland, 811 ;
North-Eastern, '221; Dovere, 1845-16, 181; Dutch
Rhenish; 61d ; Grand Trunk of Canada, 81 CGreat
Western of Canada, 171; Do. new Shares, 30. The
following were the closing prices:-Blackburn, 8
13.16, 815-16:; Chester and Birkenhead, 621, 63 :
Caledonian, 361, 37; Chester and Holyhead, 141
15 ; Eastern Counties, 101, '10: ; East Lan-
cashire,- 88;.- 881-; Do. 9/. Shares, par, 1 p;
Great Northern, 231, 231 ; Do. A, 101, 101; Great
Western, 471, 48 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire
Stock, 891, 891 ; Do. 9/ shares, 1, p ; Liverpool,
Orcisby, and. Southport 181, 18/ ; London and
North Western Stock, 931, 931 ; Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 358, 351; Midland
Stock, 811, 811; North British, 111, 111 ; North
Staffordshire, 41, 44 d ; North Eastern -Berwick,
22 11.16 221; York and Nurth Midland, 34, 388;
Leeds. Capital Stock, 231, 231 f South East-
ern and Dover, 18 3-16, 18 5-16; Scottish North
Eastern, 11, 12 ; Buffalo and Lake Huron, 51, 5,1 ;
Do. New Shares, 51, 51 d ; Dutch Rhenish, 61, 61 d ;
Great Western of Canada, 178, 171; Do. new shares,
31, 3k d ; Great Luxembourg, 5, 51,-; Grand Trunk
of Canada, 81, 8 11-16.

The Market for Consols was pretty firm today,
the prices at the close being for Money, S9l to 89i ;
and for the Account, 891 to 89k.

The Loudon Railway Share Market was quiet
to-day, and closed at the following quotations :
Caledonians, 73i, 731, ; Eastern Counties, 1073, 103;
East Lancashire, 87, 89 ; Edinburgh and Glasgow,
58, 59 ; Great Northern, 92, 93; Ditto A, 73,
80 ; Great Western, 471 48; Great INTstern
of Canada, 173, 171 ; Grand Trunk of Canada, 83,
81; Lancashire and Yol kshire, 89, 88,1 ; London
and 'North Western, 931, 934; -London and South
Western, 841, 851 ; Lleds Northern, 474, 481 ;
Manchester, Sheffield,g and Lincolnshire, 354
Midland Stock, • 813. 813; South Ea=t ra;
and POVer, 604, 614 ; York, Newcastle, and Ber-
wick, 004, 014; Yvrlc and North Midland: 1773, 78:
After official hours, the following Were the nominal
prices :--Caledonians, 733, 731; Eastern Counties,
NZ, .101 ; East - Lancashire, 873, 883 ; Great
Northern, 92, 93; Ditto. A shares, 79, 81; Great
Westerns, 47;1, 48 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire,
894. 811;. London and -North Western, 933, 934;
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, 351
Midland Stock, 814, 814 ; North British, 464, 4711;
South Eastern and Dover, 604, 611; York, Newcastle,
and Ber Wick, 904, 913; York and North Midland,
773, 783.

The foreign bullion movement presents several
I important and satisfactory features., The Bank of
England yesterday purchased 155,0001. in newly-
imported gold, viz., 92,000 i. in bars, ex the Avon,
1 from Australi,t, and 63,000/. in Russian coin, ex tilt.'
Brenda, from St. Petersburg. Sotrie further
coosiderable amounts of gold are likewise ex-
pecte,d from the United States, polioies of insur-
ance );,0 some extent having been opened.
Meanwhire,
the drain of silver to the East has
dwindled to el/4'inP
mrativelif °,"inall proportions.
Messrs. Gorr:
sen, liv,,fel, and Co., of London,
foreign merchan hi, 611W1 • , the American trade,
have stopped, The Yl4 " liabilities has rob
amount of ,