The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-11-07 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY.

The general monthly meeting of this society took place
yesterday evening, at the Royal Institution, the Presi-
dent in the chair. The attendance was pretty numerous.
After the usual preliminary business,
Mr. B. SMITH read' an excellent paper, descriptive of
his " Plan to effect a settlement of the dispute of the
Gtiages" on railways, which was listened to with great
attention, and received with much applause. The subject
is of so much national importance, as regards travelling
and the transit of goods, that we find we cannot, on the
eve of our present publication, command sufficient time
or space to do it justice; and for the satisfaction of the
public, as well as the lecturer, we shall refrain from en-
tering into particulars until our next publication, when
we shall furnish either the whole, or a comprehensive con-
densation, with extracts.
Mr. J. GARDNER gave a description of " Rishton's
Improved Sheet, for greenhouses, skylights, &c. and ven-
tilating sash windows for shop fronts," which was much
appreciated.
Mr. MPONALD read a paper, " On the best- mode of
applying water for the purpose of extinguishing fires."
Mr. FORREST exhibited a Patent Basin Tap, the inven-
tion of Messrs. Knight and Nimmo, plumbers, of this
town. It is of a simple and ingenious description. He
said that great complaints were made of the tap now in
use causing either an overflow or waste of water; but as
this tap could not be left open these accidents- could not
occur.

LONDON UNIVERSITY.—At the examination for the
degree of Bachelor of Arts, our talented young townsman,
Robt. G. Williams, son of Mr. Williams, Basnett-street,
passed as first-class man.
ST. SAVIOUR'S ScnooLs.—On Sunday last, after a
sermon by the Rev. W. G. Warre, the sum of £3O was
collected at St. Saviour's Church, on behalf of the schools
in connexion with the church.
COMMITMENTS AT' THE POLICE-COURT, YESTERDAY.
—John Williams and George Jones, for stealing clothes
in Ashton-street, OR Saturday,—trial.—James Morton,
for attempting to pick pockets in a sale-room, in Park-
lane, was committed for three months.—Bridget O'Don-
nell and Mary Collins, for stealing meat in St. John's
Market, on Saturday,—two months.—Jane Smith, charged.
by John Mathews with robbing him of LB 6d., in Poyn-
ton-street, was sent for trial.—Elizabeth Harrison, charged
by Edward Jones' _with stealinl, a harCkarcLief, in Vaux-
hall-road, on Saturday, was sent for trial,—Mary Ann
Jones, charged by John Crook with robbing him of a
half-crown,—three months.—Eliza Heaney, charged with
fllnnk, and robbing Thos. Brown of a purse and a
• r-q"art-gardens, on Saturday, was sent to
gaol for 1,, ~.,:..Iths.—John Williams and John Jones,
charged with stealing a coat, worth 305.,,fr0m behind the
parlour door of the house in Sagnall-street, inhabited by
Mr. John Welsh, master mariner, on Sunday afternoon,
were committed for trial.—Richard Kendrick, charged
with having in his possession a quantity of gas-piping,
and brass-fittings, the property of the Gas Company, and
for the possession of which he could not account, was
committed for three months.
ST. MARY'S CHURCH, BIRKENHEAD.—None of our
readers who are acquainted with the scriptural teaching
and the painstaking ministerial devotedness manifested so
long and with such affectionate solicitude by the Rev.
A. Knox, the estimable incumbent of this church, will be
surprised to hear 'that the whole, of the solemn service
appointed by the church for the fifth of November was
used on Sunday last for the benefit of the numerous. and
attentive congregation. The reverend gentleman deli-
vered in the morning an admirable and faithful sermon
from the words, " Earnestly contend for the faith once
delivered to the Saints," in which he himself complied
with all zeal and energy with the Apostles' precept, and
pointed out to his hearers the many ways in which they
might profitably do the same. In the evening the pulpit
was occupied by the Rev. Mr. Parr, who ably followed up
the subject by a remarkably powerful sermon (which we
should rejoice to see published) from the words, " Where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." The latter
reverend gentleman has been recently appointed to the
curacy of the district, on the removal of the Rev. Mr.
Handcock, and though young in years, is able to open up
the Scriptures, and the history of our country in con-
nexion therewith, with all the unction and fullness of an
aged and experienced divine. We have rarely heard a
sermon which embraced such a body of divinity, and de-
livered withal, with much simplicity and with becoming
solemnity and earnestness. We shall be much mistaken
if this gentleman does not take a high place as a de-
voted minister and preacher, and he is most deserving of
some worthy effort being made to retain his talents
and services for this neighbourhood. He pourtrayed
in fervid language the " liberty" enjoyed by the believing
Christian—showed how, in its varied characteristics, it is
offered in all the ordinances, prayers, and articles of the
Church of England to every member of her communion,
and how, on the other hand, it is denied to the follower s
of the Church of Rome both in this world and the world
to come—and improved the subject by showing its appli-
cation to the day alluded to, and to the times in which
we live. The reverend gentleman denounced in eloquett
terms the intended endowment of the Romish priesthood,
and exhorted the Protestant public to do their parts to
prevent the commission of that daring impiety. Thi
sermon evidently made a very strong impression on the
congregation; and we are sure that the abilities of the
preacher are eminently calculated to effect the very great,
est blessings for any church and district with which he
way become connected.