The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-10-25 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL MICIIA.ELMAS SESSIONS.

These sessions commenced yesterday before James Clarke,
Esq., recorder. There are 88 prisoners in the calendar charged
with felony and 15 with misdemeanour. The perpetrators of
the late extensive attempt at forgery on one of the Irish banks,
as well as the explosion at the Postoffice, will be tried at these
sessions.
The following, gentlemen were sworn on the Grand Jury :
Edward Gibbon, Esq.,.Foreman.
William Rotherham. Thomas Sands, Esq.
Thomas Tobin, Esc,:
Godfreysßarnsley. William Watson, Esq.
John Coward, Esq. Peter Sergeantson, Esq.
William Swan, Dixon, Esq. T. Buddicuui Blackburn; Esq.
William Dixon, Esq. Richard Aspinall, Esq.
Edmund Hore, Esq. Edward Humble, Esq.
Richard Eddleston Hyde, Esq. Daniel Buchannan, Esq. -
E. Moon, Esq. • William Claxton, Esq.
John Marriott, Esq. John Unsworth, Esq.
Wm. M'Cracken. Rewson, Dutchman, Esq.
After the proclamation against vice and immorality had been
read, the Recorder inquired it the defendant in the Postotfice
prosecution was in custody, and was answered by Mr. Batchel-
der in the affirmative.
The RECORDER then proceeded to address the Grand Jury.
He said, "Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, I have by the -vigi-
lance, I must say the very commendable vigilance, of the officers
below been put in possession of all the depositions of the seyOral
cases. And this ought always to be done that the recorder
might be in full possession of the nature of the cases befoi.e they
are submitted to your
.judgment. This, I must say, has been
done with very great clearness. I have looked through the de-
positions, and lam happy to congratulate-you that the cases of
which they treat. are not very severe. It is true the calendar
contains a considerable number of cases ; however I am
happy to tell you that this calendar, when .contrasted with
the calendar of October, 1835, contains not more than a moiety
of cases than occurred this time twelve months. It is a very

important and satisfactory circumstance, and I must say it is
owing much to the character of the
,new police. lam very
happy to discover that it is a preventive police. 'That accounts
in a great degree for the decrease of crime. And lam happy
to say that this morning, in consequence'of an interview I had
with Mr. Whitty, the superintendent of the police, he does as-
sure me that there is no comparison between the quantity of
crime which now exists with what did exist, it is so greatly
diminished. I need not say that in the manufacturing districts
the apprehension of crime was always the greatest; and we all
know how justly such apprehensions at one time were enter-
tained. I am happy to say also that crime is very greatly on the
decrease in the manufacturing, districts. The masters of manu-
factories now find that it is essential to their welfare as men of
business to attend very minutely to the improvement and bet-
tering the condition of the various.children and other persons
in their employment. And though the legislature have very
properly interfered on this point, they have made it a matter of
duty to educate the children on week days as well as the sab-
bath. I know that of inv own knowledge. I ant happy to say
that the masters themselves perfectly
.value the advantage of
this. and have outstripped the provisions of the legislature,
coming forward themselves fir the general good. This must
have a happy influence in improving the condition of the lower
classes, and must have the effect of materially decreasing crime.
There is a portion of this calendar which tells of one descrip-
tion of crime carried to an alarming extent. We have heard
of crimes committed by unfortunate women, and they seem to
have given themselves to rapacity and plunder to a great ex-
tent. But while I blame them, there is another class of persons
almost as culpable ; that is persons who will go into the streets
whilst in a state of intoxication, with large sums of money about
them. It is discovered at once, and in a few moments it is
taken from them, and then the police are called for, lam
'afraid that no police can reach this description of offence. if
parties will themselves give the facilities for the commission of
crime, they have really no right to complain of the police that
they are robbed. Their own prudence would have kept their
property safe. Is it not frightful that the expense of 31) prose-
cottons is thrown on the public by the gross misconduct and
gross negligence of pfivate individuals who don't know how to
take care of their money? I shall watch these cases as they
come forward, and if I find any requiring strict animadversion,
I shall feel called upon not to allow the prosecutors their costs.
They have no right to have them. There are one or two cases
in the calendar which from their novelty I should mention.
There is one case of forgery; it is No. 76 in the calendar}. It
.is an indictment against a man named George Jackson, for
having feloniously and without lawful authority had in his pos-
session a plate, on which is engraved a promis;ory note for the
payment of money, by a certain body corporate, carrying on
the business of bankers, and called the hank of Ireland. If you
are of opinion that this man was in possession of plates, or papers
on which were printed a promissory note, or any part thereof,
and he cannot satisfy you that he had authority for having•
them inhis possession, then he is guilty of forgery under this act of
Parliament under which the indictment is laid. It a very
wholesome act. It an act entitled "an act for the extension
and amendment of the present act relating to forgery," and is
an amendment of the 11th of Geo. IV. and the 4th of William
IV. It is laid in the 18th section of this act. If you should find
that he had these plates in his possession and intended to make
an illegal use of them without the authority of the bank, that
will come within the Act of Pio4iament. I have looked at the
depositions and have little doubt but they will reach the pri-
soner. There is also, another case which is interesting from its
novelty and the extraordinary nature of the circumstances re-
lating to it. But, as far as the facts are concerned, I don't
think you will have any difficulty in disentangling those facts
and coming to a conclusion as to the nature of the crime. I
have looked through the depositions and have quite concurred
with those who framed the charge. It is very much to be la-
mented that this offence comes before you in the nature of a
misdemeanour. Undoubtedly from its .consequences it ought
to have been charged as a felony. lam happy to find that the
commissioners have commented pretty strongly on the nature of
the Act of Parliament which takes cognizance of those offences,
which is commonly called Lord Ellenborough's Act. Its pro-
visions have been enlarged, but not to such an extent but that
numbers of cases of this nature are not taken cognizance of by
it. There was a case in this town in which a person was charged
with throwing vitriol acid in a woman's face. The woman was
very severely wounded, and it was stated that it had been done
with intent to wound her. The Jury found her guilty, but Lord
Tindal, a very able judge. reserved a point whether the ease
came within the Act of Parliament. Now look at the act; it
was far the prevention of stabbing, cutting, or wounding; and
vet it was held, that in that act the wound was not one which
the legislature had contemplated, and the woman was set at
liberty. But surely it is high time that the public should,be
protected from that species of wounding. If you wound a man
with your stick, and intended to do him some grievous bodily
harm, it is quite immaterial whether he is the person you in-
tended to wound or riot. Now, if any injury, as serious
as injury can be, takes place in another way, and under
other circumstances, it is quite time for the law to be
extended• to those circumstances. Now the injury, by. the
introduction of this fulminating silver into the letter at the
Post-office, we all know was as clearly committed as could
be. Various injuries were produced by it, and it is me-
lancholy, that at this time of day when a person might
be imprisoned or sent to Botany Bay under other circum-
stances less serious, that he could not he committed for this
offence. There is no doubt that it is a misdemeanour; the law
very wisely says that every act that a man does to a passenger
or other person, though the party never contemplates to injure
the particular individual who is injured, yet, if the mischief is of
a general- character, and falls on any individual, the law says
that is quite sufficient to constitute au offence. I will state a
case. It has been held that any act of wilful negligence is a
misdetneanonr. To put on board a ship a quantity of gun-
powder, or any other dangerous or combustible matter, without
giving due notice to the master of the ship, and without giving
proper caution, (which was the same as putting fulminating
silver into a package without the proper caution,) would amount
to a misdemeanour; With reference to the observation which
I just now made, that a generally intended mischief compre-
hends an individual mischief, Lord Tindal says—' Although
no mischief is intended to any particular individual,
yet if there
is a general determination and inclination to mischief, and the
act is in itself alike wilful to all, and one person is injured by it,
it amounts to a misdemeanour."lhus, if a man will discharge
t
a stone amongst a multitude of people, or ride into a crowd mbae
vicious horse, and any person were killed, that man would
guilty of murder. As if a man should, passing along a street,
throw a stone over a wall, and a person passing
side is thereby slain, this also is murder, owing to the previous
person he met,
malice. For, if a man resolved to kill the first pe
h.
on the other.
Therefore, you need not embarrass,
this would be murder, if he did so,
mischieftheques-
tions
to
whether this man intended to do _ _
though
yourselves h e
with
hw any him not.
no t
unfor-
tunate individual who suffered. If the act was of the nature of
an act full of danger, bent with mischief to the person to whom
ffitc,ci et
facts
t.
are Therefore,proved
it
against
you will
it
I -
ash7iyelooked at the
depositions, that you will have veryin that.
You will have to disentangle the facts, little e
which I think are not
hi t
victualawvea to s
charged.ecnot ii consider r would
whether
seems he
the
tsou
difficult, and I think, as sensible men, you will form a correct
conclusion upon them.
The grand jury then retired as far I
After true bills had been found, the court proceeded to the
trials of several felonies. They were, however, not very im-
portant,
and the particulars have appeared in our police re-
ports. i We are obliged to omit theta for want of room.
oft •

!ii,7
•er,,,zs.mosiimwera,f`,

LECTURE ON OPTICS-111 ECU AN ICS' INSTITUTION.

of his
Saturday
iscou course
eto eavenn
numerousi g Mr. A
. andddaan
attentive ttivlei vaeureacilete
riche lecture
The Heliostat is an instrument used for the Jiurpose of dir'ect-
ing. the rays oftg,ht towards a distant object, so as to render the
spot on which it is placed conspicuous, for the purposes of stir-,
veying. A flag would not be visible at any great distance.
Some years ago a very expensive instrument, called by thiti
name, was used for that purpose, consisting of a mirror moved
by clockwork so as to keep it continually directed towards the
sun, from which mirror the rays were directed towards the dis-
tant observer. The instrument now used consists of a telescope
tube and a couple of plane reflecting mirrors. of glass.• The
two mirrors are placed at right angles to eacli other, and are
moveable on the same axis. A. middle glass is oppOsed to the
telescopic tube, having a portion of the silver removed from its
centre, so that a person looking down the tube may behold
any mountain or other object he may wish. Byproperly adjust-
ing the glasses, the sun's rays will fall upon the middle glass and
be reflected up the tube, whilst at the same time they are di-
rected by the other two glasses towards the 'distant mountain.
To prevent injury to the eye of the spectator frOti the sun's
rays, coloured glasses are inserted in the telescope tube. The
sun's rays thus reflected are sufficiently brilliant, to be seen
across the channel, provided the mountains be of sufficient
tude for the purpose. For simple operations a more simple
mode of illumination might be adopted. A mirror might be
oscillated in the proposed direction, so that the sun's rays would
be reflected up and down upon the distant hill. In this manner
the rays will be seen thirty ,miles withoUt the aid of a teles-

cope.
It has already been stated that the foci of rays vary accord-
ing to the portion or form of the lens from which they proceed.
This aberra.tiokis regulated by a certain law, and varies with
the thickness of the lens. If We use a double convex lens of
equal curvatures the aberration is always equal to 1 and 67-100., or
nearly double its thickness. If the lens be plano-bonvex the
amount of aberration will be .1 and 17-100 its thickness, when
used in the best manner, but considerably more if its rays pass
into the flat side. When a lens has a greater degree of con-
vexity on one side than the other it is called a cross.lens. Sup.:
posing the radii of the curvatures of a lens of this description
be as 2 to 5, if the most convex side be turned towards the sun,
the aberration will be 41 times its thickness, but if its almost
plane surface be similarly directed it is only 1 and 17-100. If we
take a lens where the radii of curvature are more disproportion-
'ate, the aberration will be less on the least curved surface. Sir
John-Herschell invented a compound lens; consisting of two
plano-convex lenses, the radii of the convex sides of which were
as 1 to `Laud 3-lUths, by which the aberration is totally destroyed.
A combination of a cross lens and a meniscus lens will answer
the same purpose, the cross lens being always nearer the *eye its
the telescope. When the aberration of light is destroyed,
,the
image is much more perfect than it otherwise would be.
If we use a lens with an uniforni curvature of surface, and
present it to an object, the light of that object on passing
through will be brought to a focus, and present one image ; but
if we grind the face of this lens into two, three, or more sur-
facei, each of these new surfaces will have its separate focus,
and present an image of the object. Such lenses are called
multiplano lenses.
The decomposition of white light into a system of coloured
rays, and the reiation which these rays bear to the decomposed
Licitly, next engages the attention. When rays are sent through
a prism of glass, they arc found to be coloured, provided the
light be white; but should the light be coloured they will be of
a mono-colour. In order to ascertain this by means of the sun's
we must have a darkened room and pierce a hole through
the shutter to allow a ray of light to come in either directly
from the sun or by the reflection of a piece of looking-glass.
These rays may be then received, by a triangular prism, in pass-
ing through which they are refracted and no longer yield the
same white light, but seven different coldure or tints. The red
will be the lowermost, -and the orange, yelloW, green, blue, in-
digo, and violet, ate successively seen in ascending order. This
appearance is designated, when the rays proceed from the sun,
the solar spectrum. A similar speetruM may be obtained from
gas or any other white light. Nowlhese prismatic colours have
certain peculiar properties; that is,. the light as decomposed
into the spectrum or colours, will have a greater illuminating
power in one part than in another; its heatipg power will be vas-
ried, as will its chemical, magnetical, and eleettical Properties.
The yellow light has a greater illuininatingspower than the other
lights. Now, with regard to the heating power, Sir W. Her-
schel' and others have proved it to be greater towards the red ex-
tremity than towards the violet, varying, however, in different
kinds of glass or prisms. 'l'ne greatest heat it the spectrum
produced by flint glass is at the very edge of the red light ;
where there is no appearance of light the heat is the greatest.
There the temperature of the thermometer on a summer's day
was 79° Fahrenheit, when in the yellow light it was 62°, atuA
56° in the blue. ,The heat decreased from the red to the violet
extremity. Now take crown or plate glass (for they have the
same effect) and we shall fluid the greatest heat to be in the
middle of the red colour. But if we take sulphuric acid and
give it a prismatic form, the greatest heat will he found in the
orange. If spirits of wine the maximum heat is in the midst
of the yellow colour. Different glasses employed have powers
to disperse the light differently; that is, to spread out the spees!
truin. Flint glass has greater dispersive power than either
crown or plate glass. These remarks will apply to any pieces
of glass with sloping sides as Well 'as to prisms. This will give
an idea of the interference, of col;mr in the action of the micro-
scope or telescope.. Suppose in 'looking at Venus we saw that
star to possess a ruddy colour, we should set her down its a red
planet like Mars, which we know is not the case. The red light
is less refracted than the other colours. By ascertaining the
deflection of a light as it passes through a prism we can ascer-
tain the indices of refraction fol the different rays. All the ta-
bles of refractive indices are made out with reference to the
mean ray. The violet has the greatest refractive power, the in-
digo next, and so on down to the red. If white light be made
to pass through a telescopic glass, the red is generally at the
outside of the principal focus. In constructing microscopes
and telescopes it is necessary to make them achromatic, in order
that a white body should not give a coloured image. When a
mirror is constructed so as to destroy the aberration of light,s
and at the same time correct the prismatic colon's, it is called
an aplanatic lens. In using two lenses, the optician may com-
bine both these desiderata. For this purpose, two piano-convex
lenses are placed at a little distance: from one another, so that
the rays which are bent in one direction on passing through the
first glass, will be bent iu a contrary direction on passing through
the second, and, uniting in a point again, will form a white light.
If a numbir of colours be taken of a proper intensity and in
proper quantities, by uniting them we shall get a white result,
Supposing the spectrum divided into 100 equal parts, the red
will occupy 11 of these parts, (provided the spectrum be formed
through flint glass,) the orange 8, yellow 14, green 17, blue 17,
indigo 11, and violet 22, therefore, if 7 parts were taken, supposs
ing it were possible to procure thein.of the same beauty of colour
as the rainbow, and they were mixed in the proportions pre-.
viously named, re should obtain a white paint. Mr. Addams
proved this by using a circular card, upon which the prismatic
colours were painted, to revolve with great rapidity, when it pre-
sented a white appearance.
Mr. Barlow's celebrated telescope was made with a fluid lens.
Dollond constructed an achromatic telescope, in. which he em-
ployed three glasses for this purpose, although two are only used
now. Mr. Rodgers has proposed a mode of correcting the
aberrations of light and the prismatic colours, by means of ,a
fluid lons. The fluid he uses is bi-sulphtiret of carbon enclosed
by two glasses something like watch glasses,-placed back to
back. These glasses ate surrounded by a ring of brass, so that
the fluid cannot escape. This lens is put in the middle of tlie
barrel, which renders it unnecessary to construct it of large di-
mensions, the rays from the object glass contracting before they
reach it. This mode of compeusatiou has beets introduced with
great success.
Ono of the most interesting of the phenomena attendant upon
the dispersion of a ray of white light is exemplified by the rain-
bow. We are all aware that when we see the raiubuw our back
is towards the luminary producing it.. The sun generally
causes the rainbow, but the moon occasionally produces it. Jf
we see the rainbow in the morning it is always in the west, and
in the evening towards the east. It is never seen when the sun
is over our heads unless we are at the top of a high mountain.
The drops of water constituting rain are little globules of mat-
ter acting the parts of prisms, and produce a prismatic effect
upon the sun's rays. The bows aro sometimes two and even
four in number, although we generally see t wo.• ,When the sun
is about to set or to rise, and a person is on .1 he top of a high
mountain, he may see a rainbow forming a complete circle--sa
kind of iris. The colours ate always distributed upon the face
of a cone of which the eye is at the vertex. It will be observed
that the order of the colours is reversed in the lower of the two
bows, the red being uppermost, whilst in the upper bow the rod
colour is at the bottom. The cause of this is easily explained.
A ray in falling upon a drop of rain is refracted as in ayrisra.
In emerging from the drop into the air it is reflected again, and
,rodiei.m r. Addams
bow, a s only one colour from
here we find that the violet colour which is reflected down frond
the first drop is refracted
inconcerned tip in the second. Several drops are
entersl the ucn
eg the cue
here illustrated and ex-
plained the causes which effect the circular shape of the rain-
bow in a very neat and conclusive manner. Light is always re-
fracted at a certain angle, varying in different bodies, 'but uni-
form in each. Tto42
bus, unless the angle be from 40 degrees,
each drop
we shall not be able to
see a rainbow, as that is the angle at
which water refracts light. Now, supposing two pieces of cord
of that angle to be moved about, their two ends being kept_sta-
tionary, a circle would be described by them; and in this man-
ner, owing to the necessity which exists for the formation of
this angle in every instance where water is the refracting body,
we see the rainbow assume a circular appearance.
On Wednesday evening Mr. Addams will treat upon the eye
and the phenomena of vision, and explain the structure of the
eve, its coats, membranes, humours, and muscles. The retinal
image will be accounted for, and it will be shown why it is ne-
cessarily inverted. The " punctum centrals" will be illustrated,
the defects of the eye and peculiarities of vision explained.—
The motions of the eye in measuring the dimensions of and af-
• fecting the apparent places of objects will he accounted for, and
' the influence of the aberration of light upon our vision pointed
out.

LAUNCH.—Yesterdav was bunched, at eleven o'clock, from
the building-yard of Mr. Christopher II eyes, jun., Trentham-,
street, three beautiful smacks, called the Salmon, Turbot, and`
Sole, belonging to the Liverpool Fish Company.
CHILD BURNT.—On Friday morning a little boy, between
three and four yearsof age, named Robert Jones, residing in a
cellar in Back Wolte-street, was burnt to death in consequence
of his clotheS having taken fire.
LADIES' CHARITY.—The election of two surgeon accoucheurs
to the Ladies. Charity, in the room of Mr. Parr, deceased, and
Mr• Worthington, resigned, took place on Friday, at the Mat-
; ton's house, 58, Duke-street. •1 he votes were, for Mr. King
AYED.—About
Ellison, 307; for Dr. Matins, 190; and for Mr. Long,' 176.. The
two first were accordingly declared duly elected.
Mn. HEYWOOD'S WILL—The late Arthur Jeleyweed, Es.(l,.
the banker, died worth 'half a million, the greater portion of
unequally. To one niece, whose husband is a partner in th-o
rbiaendka, hedn
daughter
t leerf to
fi.:
that 5 0
niece,
et,o
hea l,nephewa
sin the bank, who mar-
lae(tieathed also .6150,000;
which he has bequeathed to his nephews and nieces
th,
et 1)800e-ugly
pro-
ceeded, to two other nephews, brothers of the banker, he has left only
something into
£lO,OOO each, whilst the two sisters of the favourite niece arc
not mentioned in the will. All the nephews and nieces of the
half-past ten ,'cluck, on Thursday morning, as Mr. Thomas
of the Canal, near Burlington-bridge, he heard a plunge in the
water.
he saw a boy standing on the bank about a hundred ddei
Abram,si‘cteiaasute, 1 dioonofdni were
tsi,,,,r:teo(7 :fisk,,
krics..trigooid,Doos.
uvw.gEcafivitinstrt,itie:,,a,::c.e::::,,,,... ,
as,
haensa:ww; iatit)lhh.RkhrniheonnNiv,gm,
yards'
the Canal. Immediately, however, the boy
plunked in,and
Abram then ran quickly towards the place,
labouring man named Horrok and was joined by a
assistance. They saw two childrenc s'
to whom he called for
immediately jumped into the C
own life, as he could not s •
children, who were brother
Mur-
phy, the former eight rind the
parents reside in Back P Canal, at
in the water. Horrocks
at the imminent risk of his
swim a stroke, and saved both the
named James and Laurence
the latter three years old, whose
infant had slip red into Portland-street. It appears% that the
brother jumpeA
in
t the Canal accidentally, and that his
little fellow !lead
o save him—an attempt itt which the brave
plitnent or y lost his life. Liorrocks deserves some com
reward for his .- 11c lives,•
the Leeds- 'l'
street -avern. eneB.lllcing the banks.