The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-15 00:00:00

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL
SOCIETY.

LAST night, at the ordinary meeting of this society,
held at the Royal Institution, Mr. J. B. YATES presided.
The Rev. Dr. HUME exhibited some interesting manu-
scripts from the Irelande collection ; after which Mr.
TowsoN, in the absence of Mr. HAETNUP, related some
facts in connection with the newly-discovered planet.
This is the twenty-seventh discovered between Mars
and Jupiter. It is the brightest of the small planets,
and can he seen by the " finder " of the Liverpool
telescope. It was observed by Mr. Hartnup on
three sucessive days lately, and its character fully estab-
lished. Mr. MABRATT exhibited a new species of mineral.
Its appearance under the blow-pipe is similar to that of
borax, and it has a like smell. It does not melt under the
influence of heat, but is luminous in the same way
as lime in magnesia. Mr. Cox exhibited some speci-
mens of Chinese coins, and also an earth-worm, which
was very phosphorescent. The paper of the evening
was then read by Mr. JOSEPH BOULT, being a
reply to the view taken by Dr., Wiseman of commerce
fostering art. Mr. BOULT contended, citing crowded
instances, that art had always been best fostered by suc-
cessful war and by religion, and that commerce engendered
a selfishness which was in reality obstructive to the pro-
gress of art. The subject was ingeniously argued, and the
paper listened to with great interest. A discussion fol-
lowed, in which Mr. Towson, the Rev. Mr. Robberds, the
Rev. Mr. Ramsay, Mr. Forshaw, and other gentlemen took
part ; and Mr. BOULT having replied, the society adjourned.

THE ,SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY.

LAST night, the thirty-second annual meeting of this
society was held at the Great George-street chapel. There
was a good attendance. The Rev. Dr. Raffles presided,
and, the meeting having been opened with the usual
devotional exercises, the report, which was very lengthy,
was read by the secretary, the Rev. James Buck.

This stated that owing to the advanced price of ships
the idea of getting an additional floating chapel had been
abandoned, but all the energies of the committee would
be directed to the founding of a suitable chapel, with
school and reading-room, on shore. They, therefore, were
compelled to .make an appeal to the port generally, in
favour of the design, as the sum reqUired would be about
£5,000. The report then set forth the religions services
held on board the various Australian emigrant ships
leaving the port, and said, in respect to the public worship
in the Bethel Union, that there was a marked improve-
ment in the attendance. With respect to missionary
efforts amongst the seamen in port, attention had been
directed principally to the central docks, leaving the ex-
treme north and south, untouched. One hundred and
thirty seamen's boarding and lodging-houses had been
regularly visited, and tracts were distributed in them.
£l5 had been spent in the publications of the Religious
Tract Society, of which during the year 40,000 copies
had been circulated. Forty-four ship libraries had
been lent out for the use of crews, consisting in all
of 947 volumes. The chairman then read the trea-
surer's account, which showed that the expenditure
had been £659 13s. 11d., and the receipts £164 19s.
6d., showing a balance due to the treasurer of £196 4s.
sd. The Rev. C. M. Birrell moved the first resolution for
the adoption of the report, which was seconded by the
Rev. A. Cromar, and carried • and the meeting was sub-
sequently addressed by several other gentlemen.

TrAFEETREE LOCAL BOARD
OF _HEALTH:

LAST night the ordinary monthly meeting of the Waver-
tree Board of Health took place, the Rev. W. Badnall,
chairman, presiding; there were also present Messrs.
Anderton, Bowers, Chaffer, Davis, Gore, Hill, Picton,
Rushton, and Witham.
The meeting having been for some time engaged in
consideration of the financial business of the board, reporters
were admitted at a few minutes past seven.
The public business then began by reading the minutes
of the previous meeting. In the course of reading these,
Mr. DAVIS reported, verbally, that the nuisance com-
plained of at Rose-lane had been greatly abated, and he
had reason for believing that it would soon be entirely
removed, as he understood a person would be proposed in
a few days to give a tender for the executicn of the work.

THE RAILWAY BRIDGE.
In reference to the resolution of the board, appointing
Mr. M'Connel referee on its behalf, for arranging the terms
of- settlement between the board and the railway com-
pany, for the altering and maintaining the railway bridge,
a letter was read from that gentleman respectfully declin-
ing to act, his reasonsbeing a multiplicity of engagements.
A conversational discussion ensued on this subject, in
which several members of the board took part. It ended in
the adoption of a proposal by
Mr. PICTON, that, as the matter is not of pressing
emergency, it may lie over for the consideration of another
meeting, and that, in the meantime, Mr. Atherton, law-
clerk of the board, be instructed to communicate with
Mr. Evans, railway contractor, and, if consistent with that
gentleman's convenience, to secure his services as referee.

COUNTY POLICE NOTICE.
The CHAIRMAN brought wider notice of the board a sub-
ject which had engaged.4s attention at last meeting-. He
meant the notice posted in the village under the authority
of Mr. Allen, superintendent of police, authorizing the
inhabitants to remove middies and other nuisances during
the day, and that without consulting the local board. A
communication had been made to the superintendent on
the subject, anti that gentleman bad written a letter to
the board stating that the notice in question was meant to
apply to the rural districts, and was not intended to inter-
fere with Wavertree. Its being posted there was a mere
accident. and should not be repeated. He also expressed
his regret that the notice should, even accidentally, have
been posted in Wavertree.