The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

THE ROSCOE FESTIVAL.

IN doing homage to the memory of William Roscoe,
Liverpool will do herself justice—and nothing more.
According to Lord Brougham, the accomplished historian
and Bard of the Mersey was, "in some respects, one of
the most remarkable persons that have appeared in the
literary world." He certainly stands at the head of our
local men of letters ; albeit this commercial soil has pro.
duced a goodly array of noble intellects, who,—by devo-
tion to literature, science, or art,—have moulded the
national taste and elevated the mind of the country.
We hear much now-a-day of the increasing taste for
literature, diffused among the people by the numerous
agencies which have been inaugurated in the present age.
The proposed celebration of the Roscoe centenary must
illustrate the pleasing change. It will form a gratifying
spectacle to England, for it will attest the power of genius
even over a vast community whose members dedicate their
busy lives to the pursuit of commerce. And it will be a
pleasing chapter in the annals of our own good town,
precious to every native-heart which values its reputation,
or desires to see its intellectual keep pace with its sur-
prising material progress. '
We have pleasure in learning that the arrangements are
progressing to maturity in such a way as must ensure
hopefulness with respect to the resuit. The labours of
the managing committee, entrusted with carrying out
the details of the arrangements, have been very great,
and the list of the guests invited to attend includes the
names of nearly the whole of the eminent literary and sci-
entific men of the day. The public breakfast hour is
fixed for ten o'clock, in the Philharmonic-hall, the hour
having been made earlier in order to secure the presidency
.of his worship the Mayor. The breakfast will scarcely be
concluded before one, when it is the intention to
proceed to the formal opening by the Mayor of the
Derby Museum. A private meeting of the Literary and
Philosophical Society will then take place at the Museum.
The Earl of Sefton, lord-lieutenant of the county, has
consented to preside. The Philharmonic-hall has
been secured for the dejetiner, and the committee
have arranged that those who do not join in the
participation of " creature cornferts " may have
an opportunity of listening to the speeches, and
being spectators, from the boxes and'gallery.

The committee have entrusted to the care of our talented
townsman, Mr. Mayer, of Lord-street, the design for the
admission tickets—which it is intended should be worthy
of the town, and be retained as memorials in the posses-
sion of the parties present. His worship the Mayor, who,
with his usual public spirit, has taken the subject up very
warmly, not only intends to take a prominent part in the
day's proceedings, but to close up the day's festival with
a soiree at the Town-hall, on a scale of great magnificence.
The committee of the Royal Institution have arranged to
open their collection to the public on that day. Mr. Jas.
Boardman, in a letter to the trustees, governors, or com-
mittee of the free schools, suggests that the Bth of March
be declared a holiday, and that each child have presented
to it a copy of suitable verses from the pen of Roscoe.
In the course of the day, the following interesting docu-
ments will be exhibited by Mr. MAYER from his library :
The original M.S. of the " Life of Pope," by Roscoe, and
the printed copy, illustrated by more than eighteen hun-
dred portraits and autographs ; the correspondence which
passed between Roscoe, Currie, Gilbert Burns, (the poet's
brother,) Thompson, M'Crerie, Cormick, and others relat-
ing to the works of Robert Burns, consisting of several
hundred original letters, which form part of the illustrated
volumes comprising the life and works of the peasant bard.

ISABELLA TAYLOR, aged thirty years, the wife of a
stone-mason, residing at Ambleside, was charged at the
Lancaster Assizes, on Saturday, with attempting to
murder her daughter, a little girl, three years of age, but
was acquitted on the ground of insanity. It appeared
that the insanity was:consequent upon the poor woman's
confinement
BONDING IN MANCIIESTER.--LASt week there was
forwarded under bond to the warehouse at Manchester,
13,707 gallons of rum, brandy, and wine; being the
largest weekly receipt of these elides since.the priyilege
was restored to Manchester.
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