The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-05-07 00:00:00

LOCAL NEWS.

LIVERPOOL OPHTHALMIC INFIRMARY.-=ATOOng the
many valuable charities by which the town of Liverpool is
distinguished, there are few, if any, which have stronger
claims upon the public for support than the Ophthalmic In-
firmary—there is, perhaps, not one in which so much good
is effected at so trifling an expense. Surgical advice and
medicines have been given to nearly 27,000 persons since its
establishment. During the short period of five years, the
blessing of sight, the most delightful of the senses, has, under
Providence, been restored to upwards of 100 individuals, by
operations performed within the walls ; and, in the past year,
2187 new patients have participated of the benefits which it
is daily employed in administering. That an institution thus
extensively useful should languish, or be cramped in its ex-
ertions for want of adequate support, must excite both sur-
prise and regret. The expenditure annually exceeds the
amount of subscriptions. Donations, however, from time to
time received, have fortunately enabled the committee to con-
tinue the admission of in-patients. " Loss of sight," says
an eminent writer, "is the greatest misfortune, even to the
rich, who can alleviate it by purchasing the aid and services
of others ; how much more severely, then, must it be felt by
the poor and lower classes of society—that is, by the majority
of mankind, who being rendered incapable of labour, and
having their minds uncultivated, find their existence reduced
to a dreary blank, dark, solitary, and cheerless •, burthensome
to themselves and to those around them ?"—Report of the
Committee.

LAUNCH OF THE VULTURE STEAM-PACKET.—SeIdom
have we witnessed so cheerful a scene as was exhibited on
Monday by the floating of the Vulture steam-packet, from
the dock of Messrs. Brown, Passage West. The Vulture
was originally built in Liverpool for the late Cork. Steam-
Packet Company ; but from some misconstruction of the
projectors, her lines were so fine aft, that it was rendered un-
safe to load her to the full extent of the capacity of the main
hold ; consequently she was almost useless as a carrying,
and not at all a sea-worthy vessel. After the Vulture came
into the hands of her present proprietors, the St. George
Company, various experiments were tried, to obviate the
original defect, but without success. until it was suggested
by Paul Twigg, Esq., one of the directors, and the intelligent
and respectable agent, James Beale, Esq., to have her placed
in the Messrs. Brown's dock, where they suggested those al-
terations which were since carried out by Mr. Brown with
complete success. The Vulture floated from his dock on the
afternoon of Monday, amidst the cheers of the assembled
thousands—one of the finest steamers now built. We feel
great pleasure in recording this fact of the successful effort
of native talent and industry, and it is with pride we state
that there are very few ports in England in which there are
docks sufficiently large to contain a vessel of the Vulture's
size, and in none of them could the work be better or more
faithfully done. She is 900 tons measurement, with engiiies
of 400 horses' power, and her repairs here, when completed,
will amount, we understand, to £3OOO. It is very creditable
to the managers of the St. George Steam-Packet Company
to have so much of their business done here, and we heartily
wish them success. The Vulture sails from here on Monday
next for London, to take up the line between that port and
St. Petersburgh, in conjunction with the Sirius.—Cork paper.
LIVERPOOL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—This pleasing and
fashionable resort has lately had a considerable number of new
attractions added to its former extensive catalogue, and we
perceive by the advertisement that the spirited proprietor of
the establishment intends opening the summer campaign with
renewed and increased exertions to promote the public amuse-
ment. From the taste and liberality which he displayed in
his management during the last summer, we have no doubt
that the promises he holds forth in his manifesto will be ful-
filled both in the letter and spirit. The following is a list of
presents made to the Garden :—Captain Bisdham, ship San-
bach, an ocelot, oppossum and young; Captain Nichol, barque
William Ackers, a pair of guans ; P. Watson, Esq. of Deme-
rara, a capabara ; Jonathan Higginson, Esq. Everton, an
Indian cow ; Captain Sproule, ship Princess Charlotte, a pair
of hyenas ; Captain Risen, ship Parker, a pair of curasows,
and a cava ; Captain Harrison, barque Wilberforce, an ocelot;
Captain Spence, ship 'Johnstone, a guan ; Captain Irapp,
ship Ellen, a mountain lory ; Charles Saunders, Esq. Bed-
ford-street, a pair of mannasets ; Captain Ayshford, brig
Alecto, a spider monkey, curasow and a peccary ; Mr. New-
comb, of Low-hill, a crested cardinal; Mr. 0. Brown,
Tithebarn-street, a heron; C. J. Holderness, Esq. 35, Upper
Pitt-street, a touraco ; Captain Anderson, ship Armando, a
pair of doves ; Mr. Cliff, jun. Derby-road, a Chilian blood-
hound, and a pair of pea fowl ; Mr. R. C. Crosbie, Grove-
street, a black faced satyr; Captain Mitchell, ship Ironsides,
a large gray coatimondi and a tortoise ; besides which, various
descriptions of monkeys, by Captain Gillman, ship Lintin,
R. •C. Jones, Esq. Everton, Dr. Grant, North Dispensary,
and the steward of the Princess Charlotte.

SPLENDID LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS.-OUr readers will
have frequently heard of the grandeur of the mountain sce-
nery of America ; but they perhaps may have had few oppor-
tunities of seeing any of the far-famed beauties of the
country tranferred to the canvass, on a scale sufficiently
extensive to convey a vivid idea of their magnificence, and
painted, too, by the had of an artist who has looked upon
and dwelt among the scenes that he has delineated. By
reference to an advertisement in our paper, it will be seen
that there are now on view, at the York Hotel, Williamsou-
square, three landscapes, the largest and finest of which (and
they are three of the most excellent landscapes which have
been exhibited in this town for many a day) is a view of
" The Regicides' Cave," at Newhaven, the place whither
Gough and Whalley fled, when pursued from Boston, shortly
after the restoration of Charles 11. Independent of the
interest which attaches to the spot on account of its histori-
cal associations, the scene is in itself particularly bold and
beautiful, and it is painted in a style which shows that Mr.
Wall, the artist, is well deserving of the high encomiums
which have been passed upon him both in the American and
Dublin papers. Mr. Wall has resided in America for about
eighteen years, and for some time past he has been a resident
in the Irish metropolis, whence he has occasionally made
professional tours. Part of the result of these tours are
shown in the two other landscapes on sale, one of which is a
highly-finished and most beautiful view of the renowned
" Blarney Caslle," and the other a view of the romantic
" Dargle," in the county of Wicklow. We would strongly
advise such of our readers as have a taste for the fine arts to
see these very beautiful paintings. They will be on view,
we understand, for the whole of the ensuing week.
THE GREAT NUNNINGTON ESTATE, NEAR TO YORK.—
The splendid Estate in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the
property of Sir Bellingham Graham, Bart., with the ancient
mansion, shooting-box, manorial rights and privileges, and a
little principality, producing five thousand pounds a year, is
about to change hands. It is announced by Mr. George
Robins, to be sold the first week in June. The tenantry are
all affluent, it is free from tithe, and the poor-rate is very
low. A singularly desirable opportunity is now presented to
the great capitalist, to escape from the funds at an exceed-
ingly high price, and secure a rental that must necessarily be
greatly increased whenever the event that will reduce the
funds takes place. The purchaser is besides secure of a Seat
for the North Riding of Yorkshire.

THE DOWAGER-MARCHIONESS OF HASTINGS.—This
distinguished lady and her Majesty the Queen are Scotch
cousins, both having a common ancestor in Sir Adam Mure
of Rowallan, in Ayrshire, a fine estate which the marchioness
possesses in her own right as Countess of Loudon. King
Robert the Second, the first of the Stewart family that
ascended the Scottish throne, married Elizabeth Mure, a
daughter of Sir Adam, in December, A.D. 1347. The issue
of this marriage was King Robert the Third, Robert Earl of
Fife, Alexander Earl of Buchan, an elder daughter, who
married the Earl of March, and a younger, who married John
the White Lion, progenitor of the Earls of Strathmore. By
a genealogical tree which we saw hastily constructed, we find
that her Majesty the Queen and the Dowager-Marchioness
of Hastings are eighteenth cousins. The Dowager-Mar-
chioness of Hastings and Lord Kelburne, the member for
Ayrshire, have a common ancestor in David, first Earl of
Glsagow, which relationship was of essential benefit to his
lordship in his late successful contest for the representation
of the county.
THE PROVINCIAL MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. ASSOCIA-
TION.—We have much pleasure in stating, that the Provin-
cial Medical and Surgical Association intend to hold their
anniversary meeting in Liverpool, on Wednesday the 24th,
and Thuriday, the 25th of July next, which is likely to be
numerously attended. This association has now existed for
seven years, and has for it object the improvement of medical
science, the recording every novelty during the past year, in
medicine, surgery, and all their contingent branches, the
honour and respectability of the profession, in each of which
evidence has been afforded each year progressively, at Wor-
cester, Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, Manchester, Chel-
tenham, and Bath ; and their numbers now exceed 1100,
among whom are men of the highest talent and attainments
known in the medical profession in the provinces of England.
The visitation of such a body of distinguished individuals
cannot but be thought highly complimentary to the medical
profession of Liverpool, and, it is hoped, may be presumed
no less advantageous to the town itself. The satisfaction
which the meeting of the British Association have expressed
of their reception, and the hospitality shown them, have
stamped Liverpool for not being averse to encourage such
scientific ardour and intellectual display as was evinced upon
that occasion. We, therefore, do hope, that the resources
which Liverpool affords will not be withheld, and thereby
add another instance of the wish, not only to keep pace with
the times, but to prove to the medical profession and the
public, that Liverpool is worthy of being the place fixed upon
for the seventh meeting of the association.—Albion.