The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-01 00:00:00

CHESHIRE AND 'T

THE NETT PROCEEDS realised by t
Infirmary Ball amount to £57.

CHESTER INFIRMARY.—The late Mrs.
Runcorn, has bequeathed .ZI,OOD to this institution.
THE LAST OF THE BIRKENHEAD SUBSCRIPTION BALLS
took place at Gough's Hotel, Woodside, on Wednesday
evening.

O: red, of

THE Morning Herald of Thursday intimates that Vis-
count Combermere has lately been suffering from an
attack of lumbago.

THE THIRD and last subscription ball for the season
took place on Wednesday evening last, at Mr. Gough's,
Woodside Hotel.
THE CLAIRVOYANT FRAUD.—Mr. Prince Miller is at
present lecturing on this subject, in the Royal Assembly-
rooms, Great George-street.
THE POOR of Eastham, Childer Thornton, and Sutton,
have been well supplied this Christmas with food, coal,
'bedding, and clothing, by the kind liberality of the resi-
dent gentry.
MONMOUTH AND GLAMORGAN BANK.—The creditors
have been receiving another dividend of ls. Bd. in the
pound, making, with the dividends already paid, lls. 81.
out of the composition of 15s. in the pound agreed upon.
THE BACHELORS' BALL AT ROCK FERRY.—The
bachelors of Rock Ferry and the surrounding district
furnished their fair friends with a most agreeable entertain-
ment last week. It came off on Tuesday evening at the
Royal Rock Ferry Hotel.
THE WESLEYAN METHODIST CHAPEL, Queen-street,
Lower Tranalere, has been enlarged by the front being
brought level with the road. On Friday evening it was
're-opened with an eloquent and appropriate address by
the Rev. Robert Newton, D.D.
ON Sunday afternoon last Henry Smith, aged 55, a
labourer, living in Tranmere, feeling unwell, set off to
lee his medical adviser, Mr. R. E. Gorst. lie had not
proceeded far before he became worse. He was conducted
home by two men, and died in an hour and a half after.
WALLASEY IMPROVEMENT.—The appeals against the
bill for the amendment of the Wallasey Improvement
Act have been withdrawn, Mr. Charles Holland, the
chairman of the commissioners, having expressed a wil-
lingness to pay his share towards the costs which the
appellants have incurred.
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic for the
week ended Jan. 23, 1853 :—Railway : Passengers, par-
cels, &c., £1,863 Ils. lid. ; Goods, £1,122 ls. 41. ;
Steam-boats : passengers, parcels, Rte., £223 1.4 e.
Total, £3,209 is. 4d.—lncrease compared with the cor-
responding week last year, £866 19s. Id.
WIRRAL PLOUGHING MATCH.—We understand that
the annual plowing match of the Wirral Agricultural So-
ciety will take place on the 23rd of February, on a farm
near the Hooton station of the Birkenhead and Chester
Railway. A dinner will take place after the match, and a
good attendance is anticipated.

A DARING DEED.—On Wednesday night last, some
thieves effected an entrance into the dwelling-house of
Mr. Macdonald, superintendent of the Liverpool police
force, at Higher Bebington, by means of cutting ou'
some panes of glass, and so opening one of the win
They stole a work-box containing seventeen sovereigns.
BIRKENHEAD CHURCH OF ENGLAND INSTITUTE.-011
•Friday, the Rev. Dr. Hume delivered a highly-interesting
and instructive lecture on " Australia," which was listened
to with great attention by a numerous auditory, and
warmly applauded. This institution bids fair to form a
valuable aid to the dissemination of information in the
town of Birkenhead and the neighbourhood.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—On Friday night, as Mr. Moses
Benson, dealer in butter, accompanied by his nephew, a
boy 13 years of age, was coming from Holvwell market,
they were attacked by four men, and robbed of £6 in
silver. Very fortunately, in their haste, they left another
bag, containing 28 sovereigns. They have been traced to
Liverpool, and Mr. Jones has identified one of the robbers.
—Chester Courant.

TURNPIKE Tom.s.—At the Birkenhead Petty SessiOns,
on Thursday. Mr. J. D. Hore was summoned for refusing
to pay turnpike toll, at the Oxton gate, on a horse and
cart. Mr. Greatley, who appeared for Mr. Hore,
claimed exemption under the 3d Geo. IV. cap. 33, by
which agricultural produce was exempt from toll when
not being conveyed before or after a sale. It appeared
that Mr. Hore, who resides at Oxton, has a farm at
Thingwell, about five miles from his residence, and the
vehicle in question was engaged in conveying the produce
from his farm to his home. The bench dismissed the
summons, thereby affirming the exemption.
JEALOUSY.—On Thursday, an inquest was held at
Chester, on the body of Elizabeth Meacock, a married
woman, about 27 years of age, whose death was supposed
to have been occasioned by the ill-treatment of her hus-
band. Thomas Meacock, husband of the deceased, keeps
a heerhouse in Frodsham-street, and he is in the habit of
going from home a good deal. He was away on Wednfs.
day week, and during the day a child was born, which
was a seven months' child. Meacock, before reaching
home, met with some of his companions, who, to annoy
and vex him, told him of the birth of the child, and said
it could not be his. In a state of great excitement Mea-
cock went home, and, stung by jealousy, behaved in a
very violent manner. He told the midwife that he would
" sooner the baby were at the back of the fire than where
it was." He went into his wife's room, and threatened to
cut her head off. The deceased continued ill for several
days, during which her husband's jealousy did not seem
to abate, and_ on Monday night her illness was so dan-
_

gerous that Meacock was. advised to send for ...
man. He refused, however, to do so, and some of the
neighbours then cent for Mr. Florence, surgeon. Mea-
cock, who was drunk and violent, was taken off to the
police-office. The jury found that the deceased died from
inflammation, after premature confinement of her first
child ; and expressed a strong opinion that the conduct of
her husband had been brutal and disgraceful.—On Friday,
Meacock, (the husband,) who had been in prison several
days, awaiting the verdict of the coroner's jury, was
brought up before the magistrates, and convicted in the
penalty of 20s. and costs for resisting the police-officers.

a medic

THIRD CONVERSAZIONE OF THE
BIRKENHEAD PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

THE third annual conversazione and soiree of the Birken-
head Philosophical Society was held on Friday, in the
assembly rooms of the Monks' Ferry Hotel, and amply
realized the most sanguine anticipations of its success.
The large room had the walls tastefully hung with pink
drapery, relieved by blue and white, and illuminated with
a series of gas jets down the centre. At the upper end
was a raised platform, or dais, with an orchestra, and an
excellent cottage piano-forte. On the centre table was a
series of glass cases, containing a choice collection
of British Lepidoptera, beautifully arranged. There
were also several specimens of African implements and
philosophical instruments. On the walls were hung a
variety of specimens of rare animals from the interior of
Africa, exhibited by Mr. Leyland, the celebrated African
traveller, and about the apartment were interesting and
scientific apparatus, including gas-fittings of novel con-
struction, exhibited by Mr. Edwards, of the Liverpool
Gas-works, and several microscopes, belonging to Drs.
Inman, Byerlev, and Higgins, who displayed their several
powers in the illustration of natural objects. There were
also plans of the new Crystal Palace, diagrams of fossili-
€---

serous remains restored, and other means of instruction
and entertainment.

The company, which comprised most of the leading in-
habitants of Birkenhead and its vicinity, with their wives
and daughters, who were attired in evening costume, num-
bered between two and three hundred, and, when assem-
bled in the midst of the various objects we have described,
presented an interesting and brilliant appearance. In
consequence of the president of the society having to de-
liver one of the lectures, the chair was occupied by T. C.
Archer, Esq., who discharged its duties most efficiently.
We have been informed that several members of the
committee, having received intimation that Mr. Archer's
numerous scientific engagements would render it impos-
sible for him to undertake the ofAce with satisfaction to
himself, the intention of electing him as president for the
ensuing year was abandoned with regret, at the annual
meeting of the society, held on the evening of the 26th
ult. Under these circumstances, although there was no
precedent for such a course, the retiring president was
unanimously re-elected.
Many scientific gentlemen from our side of the Mersey
who attended the conversazione warmly expressed their
approbation, and complimented the society for having set
the example, three years ago, to the literary societies here
of uniting science with pleasure, and on the very eminent
success which had hitherto, and especially on the present
occasion, attended their efforts. Unquestionably the at-

tempt

o combine intell

rational amusement, w

out ; and all the arrangement.
on the committee of managemen,
Mr. ARCHER, who was well ret, Pauded, both during and at the
.conclu.
;`).lolmenced the proceedings with adetain.,
d ueri 4" itehtt s vicissitudes,
He stated that, son.
years since its difficulties, and sm..
past four . years. .
a kind , the chemists of Birkenhead had formed
others' h°oinsPeriva_ote society, which assembled at becoming entasrafej the interchange of ideas : h•-
convenience, t
to throw it open beyondto
the Public, under Hit more compre-
hensive title of the " Birkenhead Philosophical Society."
They had so far progressed; but he thought, if they had
lectures on literary as well as scientific subjects, they would
secure a larger share of public patronage, which was
sary to their support. After ably advocating tl
terests, and pointing out the advalatages, of the society
he called upon Mr. Wills to deliver a lecture on " The
advancement of knowledge : its tendency, power, and
triumphs,"Mr. WILLS adverted to the progress the society had
made since its last annual reunion, and appealed on its
behalf to all the patrons of general literature. Referring
to the exertions of its early friends, he remarked, that the
difficulties with which they had to contend at its com-
mencement, and for some time subsequently, were now
happily overcome, and that though it was yet but a ten-
der sapling, requiring much nursing and great care, by
and bye it might grow into a healthy and thriving plant,
and at length become a goodly tree, under the shade of
whose sheltering boughs and luxuriant foliage some future
students of moral and natural philosophy might sit down
together to arrange the beauteous gems of truth, and
string the precious pearls of knowledge, therewith to en-
rich and adorn the great social fabric, the heaven-
endowed temple of humanity. After discussing the mis-
sion of our various literary, philosophical, and educa-
tional societies, and showing how they were designed to
perform an important part in the great scheme of
Providence, he argued, and predicted their future, from
their past success. The fears of some as to the en-
croachments of science on the domain of revelation
were proved to be utterly groundless. Science and
philosophy were the best and most ancient allies of the
Church. Its early fathers were the great patrons of
Church. and did not hesitate to enrich it with the
costly spoils of even the heathen temple of science.
Their feeling with regard to the decree of the Emperor
Julian, commanding all the seats of learning in the
Roman empire to be closed against them, showed
that they regarded human knowledge, not as an
antagonistic power, but as the friend and ally

ectecl t

hey h.ad resolved