The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-02 00:00:00

may add, interesting. The Diagrams are well executed, and
by help of theie and the explanations accompanying them,
we have, ourselves, readily arrived at a distinct perception of
many problems which, we confess, we were unable fully to
solve. We are glad to find, by a contemporary paper, that
our talented townsman, Mr. Andrew Livingston, teacher of
navigation and nautical astronomy, awards his high and va-
luable testimony in behalf of our author's production , of which
he states amongst other commendations :—" I have never
seen any work on the subjects treated of, so well adapted for
the use of a student, and yet of such decided advantage even
to those well versed in the science of astronomy." But we
must select one or two paragraphs almost at random, as
specimens of the clearness of the style of a volume the mo-
derate price of which is by no means adequate to its intrinsic
value:—

ABERRATION, (a deviation.)—Light occupies Bm. 13s. (8
minutes 13 seconds of time) in passing from the sun to the
earth, and during this time the earth has moved 20s. (20
seconds of a degree, the entire orbit of the earth round the
sun being reckoned as a circle of 360 degrees). At any in-
stant, therefore, the rays of light which reach the earth are
those which left the sun Bm. 13s. previous, when the earth
was in a different position with the sun to that which it oc-
cupies at the time of observation. This phenomenon is
called aberration, and the luminous circle which may be seen
around the real disc (face) of the sun (caused by the aberra-
tion of the solar rays) is called the crown of aberration.
And as the akerration of the sun is owing to the motion of
the earth in its orbit, so the aberration of a planet is due to
the combined motions of that planet and the earth in their
respective orbits. It is therefore said that the aberration of
a planet is equal to the geocentric (see Geocentric) motion of
the planet, or the space it appears to move over as seen from
the earth, during the time the light occupies in passing from
the planet to the earth. For the method of estimating the
amount of aberration see mensuration.
ClRCLES.—Astronomers imagine many great circles in the
heavens, but three principal ones, from which they form the
bases of all observations of the heavenly bodies. Every
circle is called Great, the plane of which passes through the
centre of the earth. The plane of a circle is an imaginary
number of radii filling up the circle : thus the spokes of a
wheel are the radii of the circle of, the wheel, and the radii
with the axle compose theplane—the parchment of a drum
is the plane of the circle on which the parchment is stretched.
The first of the three great circles is the Rational Horizon.
That circle made round our field of view at sea, by the water
apparently touching the heavens, is called the apparent or
visible horizon ; a circle drawn horizontally, or perfectly
level, from the eye of an observer is the sensible horizon,
and a circle whose plane passes through the centre of the
earth is the rational horizon. The second great circle is the
Equinoctial, or Celestial Equator, a circle of the heavens the
plane of which is in continuation with the plane of the
equator of the earth. The sun is on the equinoctial about
the 21st of March and 21st of September, when equal days,
and nights are over the earth. The equinoctial is traced by
observing certain remarkable stars, to which the moon in her
course seems to approach, and also by observing the position
of the planets. The third great circle is the Ecliptic, or ap-
parent annual path of the sun, which also is traced by ob-
serving certain remarkable stars, the distance of which from
the ecliptic have been accurately ascertained.
TIDES.—The rotation of the earth on its axis, combined
with the attraction of the sun and moon exerted on the fluid
portion of the globe, occasions the phenomena of the tides.
If the earth were at rest between the sun and moon, the
waters immediately under the two luminaries would be raised
by their attraction and remain permanently elevated ; but as
the relative positions of all three bodies are continually un-
dergoing a change, so the attraction on the waters is conti-
nually shifting in position ; the attraction of the sun and
moon being exerted in the same direction when the moon is
new and full (or in conjunction with and opposition to the
sun), forming the high or spring tides, and the attraction
being divided in amount between that due to the sun and
that due to the moon when the moon is in her first and third
quarters ; the tides being then neap or lop. The elevation
of the tide due to the sun is two feet and to the moon five
feet; when, therefore, both the attractions are exerted to-
gether, the tidal wave near the equinoctial line, where the
attraction is greatest, is seven feet high, and when the sun
and moon are in quadrature (one-fourth of a great celestial
circle apart), the height is about three feet, being the eleva-
tion due to the moon lessened by the attraction of the waters,
in an angular direction, due to the sun.

This article concludes with explanations of the great tidal
waves, the theory of which is plainly shown. The "winds"
are also explained in a similarly clear manner, and the utility
of the barometer, particularly at sea, as affording indication
of coming storms, is strongly urged; but we have not room
for further extracts, nor can we quote from those articles
which require diagraAss for elucidation ; and we therefore
refer our astronomical readers to the work itself.

PRESTON GUILD.

Now that the tranquillity of the town and of the surround-
ing districts is perfectly restored, with every probability of
its continuance, a great deal of interest is taken throughout
the county at the approaching Guild Merchant Festival, the
celebration of which only occurs once in 20 years. The guild
of Preston is unique, there being no resemblance to a similar
institution in any other part of the kingdom, whilst the me-
morials remaining in the archives of the corporation trace
its first celebration to 1329, in the second year of the reign
of Edward 111., since which period it has been held every,
20 years with scarcely any intermission. The " Guild Mer-
chant" is held on the Monday after the feast of the Decol-
lation of St. John the Baptist, and is always duly announced
by advertisement in the London Gazette. The celebration
has, at former periods, attracted a very large attendance of
the surrounding nobility and gentry, and on the last occasion,
in 1822, was attended by the late Earl and Countess of Der-
by, the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, Lord and Lady
Skelmersdale, Mr. Justice Park, and many other distinguished
visitors. Political excitement and agitation now being over,
the present meeting is likely to be no less interesting
and attractive, and amongst others who have put down their
names as patrons, and many of whom have taken houses for
the occasion, are the High Sheriff, the Duke of Hamilton
the Earls of Balcarras and Sefton, Lord Francis Egerton,
M.P. Lord Stanley, M.P.,Viscount Lindsay, Lord Skel-
mersdale,
Lord Sandon, M.P., Sir P, H. Fleetwood, Bart.,
M.P., Sir Howard Douglas, .P., the Hon. R. B, Wilbra-
ham, M.P., Sir George Strickland, M.P., Sir Benjamin
Heywood, Bart., Sir John Gerrard, Bart., Sir T. B. Birch,
Bart., Sir Thomas de Trafford, Bart., Sir R. H. Leigh, Bart.,
Lieut-General Sir Thomas Whitehead, Sir George Drink-
water, Sir Thomas Brancker, P. Ainsworth, Esq., M.P.
Blackburne, Esq., M.P., W. Fielden, Esq., M.P., J.W.
Patten, Esq., M.P., C. Standish, Esq., M.P., G. Marton,
Esq., M.P., and most of the leading gentry in the County,
many of whom have expressed their intention of keeping open
house on the occasion. In the list of patrons stands the name
of Sir Robert Peel, whose presence, which was expected,
will only be prevented by the pressure of official business.
Everything has been done by the corporation, in whose
hands the management of the affairs of the guild is vested, to
keep up the interest which for,many centuries it has excited
in this and the neighbouring counties.
On Monday morning the business of the Guild Court will
be transacted, the old and venerable guild books will be
opened, and the legal business will be transacted. For the
evening a grand display of fireworks is announced. On the
Tuesday there will be a grand procession of the guild, the
mayor, corporation, guild officers, and companies of trades
and societies, to the parish church, where a sermon will be
preached by the vicar, who is also chaplain to tie guild, and
church service will be performed by several efficient vocalists.
These bodies, which will be arranged by the marshalmen,
are very numerous, consisting of Ist, tanners, skinners, cur-
riers, and.glovers ; 2d, cotton-spinners and weavers; 3d, cord-
wainers ; 4th catpenters ; sth, butchers ; 6th, vintners ; 7th,
tailors; Bth, plasterers; 9th, Smiths; 10th, gardeners; 11th,
lodge of odd fellows ; 12th, printers and bookbinders ; 13th,
lodge of freemasons. In the evening of this day there will
be a grand concert of vocal and instrumental music. On the
same day there will be a bazaar at St. Ignatius' Schools, in.
the North-road, for the benefit of the Roman Catholic Col-
lege, near Leicester at which the Earl of Shrewsbury with
his family, Lord Clifford, and several of the leading Roman
Catholic families in this county, have signified their intention
to be present. On Wednesday morning the mayoress's pro-
cession, with ladies, to the parish church will take place,
when there will be performed Handel's sacred oratorio of
Messiah. The leading singers engaged for the occasion are
Miss Birch, Miss Stott, and Miss Maria Hawes, Mr. Hobbs.
and Mr. Phillips, in addition to which, the orchestra,
selected principally from Birmingham, Liverpool, and
Manchester, will consist of 42 performers, and the chorus
of 66 voices. This has always,been an occasion of particular
interest, and at the last meeting the mayoress was followed
by the Countess of Derby, Countess of Wilton, Lady
Hoghton, Miss Hoghton, the Misses Stanley, daughters
of Lord Stanley, and a retinue of at least six hundred ladies
of the first distinction. On this evening there will be a grand
dress ball. On Thursday morning the mayoress will give a
grand public breakfast, after which both races and regatta
are announced. A grand performance of sacred music will
likewise take place at the Catholic chapel of St. Wilfred,
comprising a selection from the Stabat Mater of Rossini, in
which Signor Rubini, as well as Negri and Puzzi, and Mdlle.
Pacini and Mdlle. Osterguard will take a part. In the even-
ing there will be a grand concert at which the above will
attend. Friday morning will commence with races, after
which the scholars of the various public, national, and Sun-
day schools wil be regaled with entertainments ; and in the
evening there will be a grand costume ball, to provide for
which several of the caterers for such amusements from
London are present. The whole of the proceeds of the
musical entertainments and the balls will after defraying the
expenses, be applied for the benefit of the pablic charities of
the town._ _ _ . _ _

A very large influx of strangers is anticipated during the
ensuing week, and demands for accommodation have increased
accordingly. Next to the visit of her Majesty to Scotland,
this will prove the most exciting occasion to the haut monde
in this part of the country in the ensuing week.

A grand fete will, it is understood, be given at
Ravens-
worth Castle, early in October, in honour of the corningo
age of H. Liddell, Esq.
The Duke of Cambridge visited the coal-mines of Durham
on Wednesday last, and inspected the various operations of
the colliers and their machinery..
It is rumoured at Aylesbury that Captain Hamilton, M.P.
is about to take up a three years residence in British India.
If true, this will create a vacancy in the election for the bo.
rough.
REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF FLOUR.—The Sheffield
poor-law guardians have contracted for a supply of three
hundred sacks of bread flour, containing in all 5,400 stones,
at two shillings per stone.
The notorious Vidocq, whose memoirs excited so great an
interest some few years ago, and who has for some time past
been employed in recovering debts, &c., has been arrested,
with one of his clerks named Gouffe, for illegally confining
an individual and compulsorily obliging him to execute certain
deeds.

of
TR-17EN
DI UNIVERSITY
ET Y
OFOF
AIL.
Bo N.
—n °MN
r. F
Chester, who, with his brother, Mr. B. A. Harling, lately
shared the first honours of his college, has again distinguished
liolßbesrTt EXAMINATIONDawsonFOR
Harling, _ t
himself by obtaining the exhibition and gold medal awarded
by the senate of the university in anatomy and physiology.
The Earl of Lincoln, as First Commissioner of Woods
and Forests, has just conceded an important boon to the
freeholders of Wales—namely, by having, on the advice of
the law officers of the crown, reduced the amount of the
acquittance fee on rents of assize. No fee of this kind is in
future to exceed 4d. Formerly 63 fees were demanded on
63 arrears of rent ; but one payment is now to serve for the
whole.

of cattle,
Aug. 28.
but there
sheep, and pigs at
the fair of Drogheda on Friday,
CONTINUED FALL IN PRICE
There was a vary large supply
there was little or no
markets." The demand, even at greatly reduced rate Zing, it is said, to
" the dull accounts from the English 'llse'
Drog-
heda Argus says, " Large numbers of .
under the
to
toleration
exhibited, and offered from 25 to 30 grung bullockst were
,yias bad
prices of this day twelve months ; but even at this reduction
they were in little demand, owing it is stateyd, obe o •
of the Tariff." The Ardee fair, on Monde
as that of Drogheda. The Drogheda Argus says,
the dullest we ever recollect this season. The Tariff t waas
sure and the English riots were considered as the cause. Be
it what it may, nearly all the stock on the green left it
unsold."