The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-05 00:00:00

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

Yesterday evening the Anniversary Meetinfnf
Members of this Institution was held in the Theatre,
Southampton-buildings. There were present Mr. 111''
Brougham, Mr. Hume,• Mr. Spring Rice, Dr. Arnett,
Dr. Birkbeck, &c.
Dr. BIRKBECK presided, and addressed the Meeting itt
some length, on the rapid progress of the Institutin
which had completely answered any expectations that coul
have been entertained. It was :his pleasing duty to have
to present two prizes that evening, awarded to Members
of the Institute. The prizes were the gift of Dr. FeHo.
we
The Learned Doctor compared the Institute to an intense-
tual omnibus, which would not keep the traveler after
knowledge outside by too high prices for admission. He
defended institutions of this kind from the attacks of Th.,' • •
Irvine and the late Sir H. Davy, and said it was a ger
fact that a Mechanics' Institute had been establisSEd nt.
Oxford, to which the authorities rendered every assistance' '
He then stated that the Cemmitte had awarded the P 1.1.4
to Mr. Henry Poole, an operative stonemason, fore isf,
per on the pendteuns; and to Mr. John M'Duff, for a- •
original and very ingenious machine for buhl-Workl:
The President stated that the prize essay was replete so.
information, and that the author bad never neglected n'"
wa r
k to attend to it, having drawn up his abstruse een,e•
lations after he had finished the labour of the day. ;RI;
President then, with an appropriate speech, presentenej.
purse of 101. 10s. to Mr. Poole, who was loudly cheer
The working model of the machine of Mr. M‘Duff
then t xhibited, and commented on by the President,
was worked by the former. By this process buhl-wory
ing is rendered more perfect and speedy than by any
t'aod before devised, and several beautiful specitnecs
exhibited. The President handed over the prize W t
inventor, amid loud cheers. ore'
Mr. BitoUGIIA sr addressed the Meeting shortly, 011,,wvot
posing a vote of thanks to the President. It covn.
now be doubted but that the greatest advantage would tee
suit, and had resulted, from such institutions. then 4
The thanks of the Meeting to the President were
unanimously carried. by Or'
Other Resolutions were then passed, introdu.- mess'
Spring Rive and Mr. Hume, connected with the bto
of the evening, after which the Meeting adjourned.

LITERATURE.

•
THE GEM.
In accidentally turning to this agreeable Arr.
al the other clay, we were much amused le

nu,
theory which Miss Mitford has appended,
the form of a note, to her lively sketch of
Miss Wren," to the effect that little men a 01,15,
surpass big men in the vivacity of their suilu.i
an
ntshoiamnt
ihtteoaltysfaasvun,pcitefhruialot:itsgh
quality.
iewtnyii.to Fish: jails iituT.heowoctiai,,
thougha e spirits,
o f
encu-'
is better still, is more likely to meet with
ragement than detriment from the recollett.t°ll9
of the reader. " Saturday Night" is a clever
description of a school-boy's tortures, on the ?el' ,
casion .of that most unwelcome, purgatort"
hebdomadal ablution: We regret that we had
not space to quote it. " The Coquette" is a
lively poetical illustration of an admirable ea'
graving by Humphreys, from the well-knoWil
original painting on that subject by C1101°,13;
Lord Nugent's tale of the " Man and
Lioness" is amusing in its incidents ; its °lgo
defect is that too much is made of it. It
overloaded with verbal ballast. Mr. C. Reit,
ding, one of the editors of the " NevilVlouth
Magazine," contributes some energetic stanzas
the
the subject of " Hannibal's Passage r
of.
Alps ;" in one occurs the apt and forcible
pression, " War's hot simoom." The " L°ll,ei.
letter" is a well-executed engraving, equallY:-.0
illustrated by some stanzas from the pert Of
-0
anonymous writer, who, however, need not
been ashamed to mention his name. nut bYthe
the best engravings in " The Gem"
" Gipsy Belle," by Duncan, from a paintitai,
Leslie; and the "Infant Bacchus," by ...i.d*/°....204.'
from the much-admired original by 13and
Both these are first-rate embellisbnients:t by
both have been faithfully illustrated, the "-The
Delta, and the last by T. K. Hervey best
latter gentleman has contributed one of the
poems he ever yet composed.

THE BRITISH NATURALIST. LoKnox, 17,„.
This volume, which is full of pertinen"iii
valuable information, has been abridged drill
cti
larger works on the same subject, with a 501
that does credit to the judgment and prase,
knowledge of the Editor. Nothing refillY `lto
ful has been omitted ; the wide store of anirro.
and even inanimate nature, have apparentli "fled"
at the Editor's disposal, and he has amplY 'tdoos
himself of them all. We wish his Nor'
success that it really deserves.

A CONCISE DIGEST OF THE LAW, 1151:
AND CUSTOM, RELATING TO THE C, 115
-
SIERCIAL AND CIVIL INTERCOURSE Of'l4'cg,..
SUBJECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND fnits'
—PAItIs, 1529.
e
The subjects of which this publication tr_,#io
s6o
are so useful, and at the same time so praetioh
their nature, so manifold, and so indisPenc
f
to the major part of the community- 011 t 4109
land, from the Prince to the peasant, ra
now-a-days—that we cannot doubt it will I)elieen
ceived with applause by the public. It has "
drawn up with no slight judgment and ability
Mr. Okey, Barrister of the Inner Temple'

cation:
DONCASTER ROBBERY.--All aPPJ-. tQ
vas made yesterday (Friday) to admit Isatan S/4joitice
i )4il, when, altar perusing tha depositions, AR.
tle°.
BAYLEY decided, that from the nature of the evi
(Weed, he felt it impossible to admit the prisoner,44ol'
he was therefore taken away in custody of 141r* :00e
chief
•hief officer of police, Doncaster, to be forthwiw 17'
to York Castle, to which he stands fully colur°-
trial at the next Assizes.