The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-06-11 00:00:00

PHONETIC READING.

The following facts, being the result of an experiment
made by Mr. Henry Pitman, to teach Phonetic Reading
to the inmates of the Liverpool Workhonse, will interest
our readers.

A class consisting of about thirty persons, of both sexes,
and of ages varying from ten to eighty, received one hours'
instruction from Mr. Pitman daily, for a month. At the
commencement of the lessons, the instruction was im-
parted by the aid of the Phonetic Tablets. From these
they learned the alphabet in ten lessons, and from that
moment the success of the experiment appeared certain.
No difficulty was afterwards experienced. The progress
of the pupils was truly marvellous. Before the expiration
of the month, the majority of them could read simple
language with the utmost confidence and ease. Various
works in Phonetic printing were read thrcugh by the class,
including the following portions of the Sacred Scriptures :
The Parables, Miracles, and the Sermon on the Mount.
When the class had received twenty-two lessons, an
examination of each member was made by the governors
of the committee, who expressed their surprise and de-
light at the progress made by the pupils. It was found
that many of them were able to read books printed in the
common type. This was a satisfactory proof, that the
shortest way of becoming acquainted with the present
system of reading, was to commence with the phonetic.
We have no doubt that such is the case, because of the
near resemblance which (the two systems bear to each
other. Twenty-three out of the twenty-six letters of the
Roman alphabet are employed in the phonetic system.
there can be no doubt that it would be a great boon to
the civilized world if the phonetic system could be brought
into general use. Its advantage to foreigners in learning
our language must be apparent to all.
At the conclusion of Mr. Pitman's benevolent labours
at the Workhouse, the following resolution was passed by
the committee : _

At a meeting of the Workhouse Committee, held 30th
day of May, 1850, present, Joseph Cafferata, Esq., chair-
man, &c.,
.Resolved,—That having witnessed the successful result
of Mr. Henry Pitman's method of teaching to read on the
Phonetic System, whereby a number of inmates of this
house, who could not read before, have been taught to
read with fluency in twenty-four lessons of one hour each,
this committee desire to record their very great gratifica-
tion thereat; and, inasmuch as Mr. Pitman's labours
have been perfectly voluntary and gratuitous, beg to ten-
der him their cordial thanks for the same.

Also Resolved, that a copy of the foregoing resolution
be transmitted to Mr. Pitman by the vestry clerk.
( Signed) CHAS. HART, Vestry Clerk.
To Mr. Henry Pitman.

FLOATING OFF OF THE THIRD TUBE OF THE BRI-
TANNIA BRlDGE.—Yesterday morning the third tube
was successfully floated off from the Carnarvon side of
the straits to the opposite side, and floated in position for
being hoisted to its final elevated position, between the
Anglesea Tower and the Central Britannia Tower. A
greater number of civil engineers were present on this
than on the former occasions of a similar operation when
the tubes now forming one permanent line across the
straits were respectively floated off. There were present,
Robert Stephenson, Esq., the engineer of the works;
G. R. Stephenson, Brunch, Bidder, Locke, and E. C.
Clarke, engineers ; also Captain Claxton, R.N., who has
all along had the management of the floa'ing depart-
ment. Mr. R. Stephenson, Mr. Clarke, and others, were
on the ground by three o'clock in the morning, superin-
tent ing the first preparations. About a quarter past seven
o'clock, Captain Claxton (under whom were a large num-
ber of seamen and others) gave orders for the tube to be
moved, which was immediately and skilfully complied
with. In canting round, one end of the tube caught a
beam that projected from one of the scaffolds; but the
obstructing part was soon sawn off, and the weather and
tide being highly favorable, the huge and ponderous iron
mass, was, at about half-past nine o'clock, safely and
with great facility deposited at each extremity on the stone
work formed to receive it, The pontoons upon which it
floated were at a quarter before ten, released
from under it, by the admission of water into them, and
it rested in the glory of its own strength (as the former
tubes had done), without the slightest apparent deflexion.
There were not so many spectators as on the former occa-
sions, the novelty of the operation having in a great mea-
sure worn off. The most interesting feature of the
occasion was the appearance on the tops of the two tubes
already fixed in their airy altitude of some 150 to 200
people, who were admitted to that position to view the
fete. Seen from either shore, their appearance was
strange, and highly interesting. They had with them a
powerful band of music, who, when the tube glided beau-
tifully into its place between the towers, played " I'm
afloat ! I'm afloat !" The completion of the operation
was hailed by the most enthusiastic cheers from the
shores, the barges round the tube, and the crowd on the
two elevated tubes. We need scarcely add that a joyful
holiday was afterwards enjoyed by the workmen. Up-
wards of 100 sailors, sent from Liverpool, were present,
and gave all the assistance at the capstans, &c., that was
required.
TILE EXHIBITION OF 1851.—1 n compliance with an
official note from the Mayor to the representatives of
Abercromby Ward, a meeting was held last evening at the
Adelphi Hotel, to devise the most expedient means of
furthering the object of H.R.H. Prince Albert. A depu-
tation from the committee attended ' • there were also
present Alderman Procter, Mr. B. Hall, T.C., Mr.
Pitcher, Mr. Gardner, T.C,, Mr. Grantham, &c. Alder-
man Procter was called to the chair. After waiting in
vain for an accession to the meeting, he proceeded to the
business of the meeting ; he thought it was incumbent on
the town to pay some little respect to Prince Albert,
bearing in mind the gracious intercourse he had held with
the town on a late occasion. The minutes of the com-
mittee were read. Mr. Grantham regretted the response
to these labours was so faint. Mr. Griffiths thought the
lukewarmness complained of was to be attributed to the
want of energy on the part of the originators of the pro.
ject, and ;many of these gentlemen whose names were
put down, had not paid anything as yet. He proposed
that the list be read over. This was accordingly done.
The Polytechnic Society have raised nearly £lOO among
their members. The chairman said it appeared that the
gentlemen who first proposed the matter had left it to be
worked out by others. If the meeting were prepared to
do the paying and the working Nut of the business, it
was for them to do so. For himself, he was glad to have
his same put down for a small contribution. Mr. Gard-
ner, though not sympathising with the object of the
exhibition, considered that they had a duty to perform
towards his Royal Highness Prince Albert, the mayor,
and their worthy chairman. He was ready to add his
name to the list. As there were not more than three or
four inhabitants of the ward present, no resolution was
come to, the deputation having met with the same reception
that they found in Vauxhall Ward, on Saturday evening.
Mr. Pitcher, before the meeting separated, would propose
a resolution which was a vote of thanks to the chairman,
and, in doing so, he wished it to be understood that if the
project should turn out to bs a failure, that failure ought
not to be attributed to any want of appreciation on the
part of the town generally ; it would be clearly owing to
the desertion of the cause by the very parties whopeiginated
it. He considered that those parties had misled the
royal commissioners by giving them to understand that
great things might be looked for from Liverpool, and then
withdrawing from it altogether. A gentleman attributed
the failure to the free-trade measures, but he was convinced
this had nothing to do with the matter, as gentlemen of all
shades of politics had been engaged on the committee ;
there was nothing of political feeling in the matter,
He had stated the bare cause of the limited support ex-
tended to the project, and he was desirous the public
should be informed rightly on that point.—Mr. Hall
seconded Mr. Pitcher's motion ; after which the Chair-
man returned thanks, and thus the meeting ended.
VENTILATION.—As a proof of the benefit of ventilation
in the 'ween decks of passenger ships, we may mention
that the ship Philadelphia, Captain Stotesbury, which
arrived here on Friday, made her outward passage to New
York with 630 souls on board without a single case of
sickness.

The Countess of Sefton had a soiree dansante last
Saturday night, at the family mansion in Belgrave-square.
About 300 personages of distinction were invited to the
re-union. In the spacious dining-room tables were pro-
vided with every luxury of the season. The Duke of
Wellington honoured her ladyship by his presence at the
party, and among the other visitors of rank was his
Serene Iligline3s Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar.
Tuu NVLA-riil,R, during the past week, has been most
genial and delightful, with generally brilliant sunshine,
tempered in its effect by gentle breezes. The progress of
vegetation has been unusually rapid. (after the protracted
cold up to the second week in May); and the country
never looked more lxautilul, or more promising, gene-
rally, in field or in garden. We have had some fine soft
showers, and there is some slight indication of another
downfall. which would certainly be beneficial, especially
in stiff and clayey soils. We learn that the potatoe
crop looks well, and that the probability is, that the disease
will scarcely, if at all, attack the plant this year. Garden
stuffs, (whichwere backward), are beginning rapidly to
cheaFen.