The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-10-30 00:00:00

A WARNING TO THE Tows COUNCIL.—The Prophet
Raphael informs us that in August next, when there will
be a conjunction of the three planets, Mars, Venus, and
.Pupiter, in the celestial sign Virgo," " the magistrates or
town council of Liverpool will fall into disrepute, or per-
form some rash act, and in these events a female appears
to figure" ! Our representatives, we trust, will be on
their guard, and avoid the blandishments of the fair sex
during this dangerous month. The rash act spoken of
cannot surely be connected with the Pike scheme, and the
female the respectable old lady whose weekly scoldings
emanate from Lord-street !

...
GREAT QUOITING AND THROWING MATCHES.—TWO
interesting matches are announced to take place on the
afternoons of Wednesday and Thursday next, on the
green of Messrs. Parry, Seacombe Hotel. On Wednesday
a friendly match at quoits will be played between the cele-
brated Glasgow players, D. Weir and Jefferies, and
Messrs. John Parry and J. Barnes, of Seacombe. On
Thursday a match at throwing the jack will be played be-
tween Mr. J. Henderson, of Liverpool, and a man from
Manchester, for £lO a side. Both matches are expected
to be closely contested, and if the weather be propitious,
there will be a strong muster of spectators.
THE THOUSANDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF
KING ALFRED.—In accordance with the views of the
distinguished parties who originated the festivities at
Wantage, in commemoration of this event, our worthy
Mayor has consented to preside at a dinner to be held for
the same purpose on Friday next, which will no doubt be
attended by all the elite of the town. To Alfred the
Great are we indebted for the first germs of our British
Constitution ; for a code of enactments which yet form
the foundation of our common law, and for his division
of the country into counties and hundreds, for effectual
government, and for his formation of a navy for the na-
tional defences, which has gone on ever since increasing in
strength, and in glorious achievement ; and for his pater-
nal and Christian demeanour as a monarch.—A prelimi-
nary celebration took place on Thursday last at Wantage,
to arrange the great national celebration which is shortly
to take place in London. After divine service, and ap-
propriate addresses at the town-hall, the whole town
walked to Alfred's Well, situated in a field, once the
principal court-yard of the Anglo-Saxon castle in which
Alfred was born, but of which no other vestiges whatever
remain, although tradition indicates the leading direction
of the structure. There a lecture on the character and
life of King Alfred was delivered by Dr. Giles, and ano-
ther by the Rev. F. Reyroux, B.D. Next the roasted ox
was distributed to the population with infinite satisfaction
alike to the recipients and the spectators. A hundred
gentlemen afterwards dined together. After the repast,
the celebrated Pusey horn, presented to the ancestor of
the present member for the county, P. Pusey, Esq., by
the hands of King Canute himself, was placed on the
table, and excited much interest. It was agreed by those
present that the old grammar-school of Wantage be re-
vived under the title of King Alfred's School; and that,
for this purpose, all Anglo-Saxons who reverence the me-
mory of that monarch should be invited to subscribe. It
was also agreed that for the same purpose, and also to
present to subscribers, an edition of Alfred's works
should be published in one folio volume, splendidly illu-
minated, and to be entitled " Jubilee edition of the
works of King Alfred the Great."
MEMORY.—UNIVERSAL HISTORY.—On Tuesday
Mons. N. F. Zaba, a Polish emigrant, delivered, at the
Royal Institution, a gratuitous lecture on the science of
" Mnemonics." The Rev. Dr. M`Neile occupied the
chair. There was a large and respectable attendance.
The Rev. Canon, in opening, said, that M. Zaba had
come to him introduced and recommended by Lord Har-
rowby. He had given his attention to a peculiar system
of mnemonics, by which he produced, or thought he pro-
duced, the most extraordinary high-pressure result which
he (the Rev. Chairman) had ever heard of. All that
steam does faded into insignificance compared to it, for
he had the universal history of the world in a little pocket-
book, (laughter and applause,) which any one, might carry
about without the consciousness that he had a book on
his person. It was the most portable encyclopaedia,
which he had ever heard of. (Applause.) M. Zaba then
delivered his lecture. After a metaphysical discourse on
memory, he stated that his own plan in aid of it had met
with the approval of the Educational Board and Univer-
sity in Paris, and was now being introduced into all the
colleges in France. Before explaining its peculiarities,
the lecturer showed its efficacy in the instance of two
boys—one from London, and the other who had only
been six days under his tuition in this town. He put to
the former a multitude of questions as to the date of
various events in the world's history, and was answered
with remarkable readiness and precision. Localities
were told, on cross-questioning, with the same correctness
as to dates. M. Zaba said he did not profess, as many
others did, that those who learned it could apply his sys-
tem to every subject; but, as soon as the requisite men-
tal habits were formed upon one subject, they could be
brought to bear with the greatest success on the study of
every subject. His pupils, he said, though learning the
strictest chronological details, never thought of number;

•
that came without effort, as the natural result of the
arrangement. M. Zaba then entered at length into the
outlines of his plan. To give an idea of it, the reader
may suppose a large square drawn ; this divided into ten
compartments each way, and each of these subdivided
into ten more. One of these secondary divisions repre-
sents a century, the minuter squares particular years, so
that, supposing the first division to represent the first
century of the Christian era, for example, the eye with-
out effort selects any subsequent year. Then each square
or year is made to typify the greatest historical event or
events, which may have marked it, the character of the
occurrence being shown by a peculiar symbol or rpeuliar
colour. The beauty of this general arrangement was
Much admired, especially with the proofs of its efficacy,
which the examination of the pupils had revealed. M.
Zaba, however, forbore entering much into details, and,
announced his determination to form classes here for the
study of the art. A second lecture, on the same subject,
under the presidency of Adam Hodgson, Esq., was deli-
vered on Wednesday evening, and was equally well received
by a very numerous and respectable audience. The Rev.
principal of the Collegiate Institution was present, and
sat on the chairman's right hand. During the proceed-
ings, the rev. gentleman put a number of additional ques-
tions to the London boy, which were replied to with very
creditable accuracy and quickness. We believe that M.
Zaha repeated his lecture last evening in the lecture-hall
of the Collegiate Institution to the masters of that estab-
lishment, and of the principal private schools in the town.
We are informed that the first meeting of the class of
ladies and gentlemen to be further initiated in the system
will take place this (Tuesday) evening, in the Royal
Assembly-rooms, Great George-street.

LOCAL MEETINGS.

SUNDAY SCHOOL INSTITUTE.—The third annual meet-
ing of the friends of this institution was held on Tuesday
in Pembroke Chapel. R. A. Macfie, Esq., president of
the institute, occupied the chair.
A meeting was held on Wednesday, at the Old Swan,
under the presidency of the Rev. T. Gardner, to form a
branch there of the Christian Mutual Provident Society.
A number of persons enrolled themselves as members.
SPECIAL VESTRY.—A special vestry meeting was held
on Tuesday, the Rev. Rector Campbell in the chair, to
consider a motion for rescinding a former resolution of
the board, relative to the salary of the Governor of the
Workhouse ; whether tie should be allowed the same
salary as he received during the lifetime of his wife, on
whose account chiefly the appointment was made. A.
motion was submitted by Mr. Fairhurst—that the gover-
nor should have £250 clear, and the matron £lOO, and
allow any extra expense to fall upon the parish. Mr.
Willmer moved an amendment that the motion carried at
the previous meeting be not rescinded. On a division,
the amendment was carried by a majority of 11 to 9.
The salary of the governor is now reduced to £2OO a-year,
and the salary of the mistress is £lOO.
WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—The usual weekly meet-
ing was held on Wednesday. During the last week there
had been only six cases of cholera throughout the whole
union, not one of which had proved fatal. The law-clerk
was directed to take proceedings against all persons against
whom the guardians have claims for expenses incurred by
them in the removal of nuisances. The Fever Hospital
report stated that there were remaining in the house, last
week, 21 ; admitted (luring the week, 5 ; dismissed cured,
4 ; died, none ; remaining in the house, 22. A letter was
read from Mr. Chalmers, of Everton, stating that, in
*consequence of the abatement of the cholera, the domici-
liary visitors of that township could now be dispensed
with. Proceedings were ordered to be taken against all'
the townships in arrear of calls.
VESTRY MEETING AT BIRKENHEAD.—On Wednes-
day a vestry meeting was held for the purpose of electing
a person to fill the office of assistant-overseer, vacant by
the resignation of Mr. Harwood. The Rev. A. Knox
presided. Before the testimonials of the various candi-
, dates were read over, it was moved by Mr. Craven, se-
conded by Mr. Thompson, and resolved, that no publican
or beerhouse-keeper should be appointed to the office.
The vestry-clerk then read the testimonials of the follow-
ing gentlemen, who were candidates for the office,—viz.,
Messrs. Taylor, W. Jackson, Martin, Bell, and Evans.
These gentlemen having been proposed and seconded by
their friends, a show of hands was taken, when the chair-
man decided that Mr. Taylor had the largest number. A
poll was demanded, and at the final close the numbers
were, for Mr. Taylor 264, Martin 21, Bell 12.
LIVERPOOL CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL SOCIETY.
—On Thursday a meeting of the friends of the above so-
ciety was held at the Savings' Bank, Bold-street, the
Venerable Archdeacon Brooks in the chair. The com-
mittee regretted to notice a further diminution in several
of the sources whence the society derived its means. The
church collections had this year fallen short by £lOO.
The donations, although exceeding the average of former
years, amounted to nearly £l7O less than those of last
year. The circumstance most likely to affect the perma-
nent interests of the society was the falling off in the
annual subscriptions to the extent of £3O. The pence
collected at the schools have considerably increased. The
schools were in a well-conducted and flourishing state.
The government inspector of schools had expressed him-
self perfectly satisfied with the whole arrangements.
HEALTH COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—The medical offi-
cer of health reported that for the week ending the 18th,
the deaths in the borough had been 183, being 16 fewer
than during the previous week. From cholera there had
been only three deaths, against 19 on the previous week.
A proposition was agreed to to construct a large sewer in
Smithdown-lane, by which that locality would be drained,
and the sewers from the docks might be ventilated. The
inspector of nuisances made his usual report as to their
removal. This being the last meeting for the municipal
year, on the motion of Mr. Bent, seconded by Mr.
Walthew, the thanks of the committee were voted to Mr.
Hugh Hornby, for his services as chairman and deputy-
chairman during the year. The following is a list of the
attendance of the various members during the year :
William Walthew, 50 times; T. Rimmer, 46; John A.
Tinne (chairman), 45; William Bennett, 44; Hugh
Hornby (deputy-chairman), 43; James Parker, 39; H.