The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-10-03 00:00:00

SOIREE OF' THE HISTORIC SOCIETY,

The soiree given by the Historic SocieV of Lancashire
and Cheshire to,the British Association was held in the,
Philharmonic-hall, on Wednesday evening. The;hall was
decorated withilags, bearing the names and arms of all the
presidents of the British Association, while at the two
ends of the- hall were displayed the royal arms, ands t
each side of the platform were placed,flags with the arms
and names. of Alfred and Egbert. At one MI of the
hall was exhibited the Faussett collection. VT" Anglo-
Saxon antiquities, and a collection, of portraits, articles
of jewellery and vertu formerly belonging to the- Bona-
parte family. The majority of thecorapany wereseated,
though, many promenaded the different compartments
of the. hall. Refreshments wereprovided in the-refresh-
ment rooms by Mr. Cook, the. keeper of the hall.
On the platform, the chair was, occupied by the Mayor,
in the absence of the Earl of Harrowby. Seated also on
the. platform were Lord Talbot de. Malahide, William
Brown, Esq., M.P., Sir R. I. Murchigon, IL. Denby Sey-
mour, Esq., M.P., R. M. Milnes, Esq., M.P.., William
Sykes, Esq., Colonel Chesney, Colonel Sabine, Professors
Iktlfour, Forbes, Jukes, &c,
The Mayor, on taking the.chair, read a letter of apology
from the Earl of Harrowby, after which Thomas Wright,
F.S.A., &c., read a paper-on " Anglo-Saxon Antiquities,"
illustrated by the Faussett collection in the possession of
Mr. Joseph Mayer.
At the conclusion of the paper,, an address from the
Society was presented, to. Mr. Mayer by the Mayor, which
compliment was gracefully acknowledged by the former
gentleman.
The Mayor th,en presented to Lord Talbot de Malahide,
for the Earl of Harrowby, a "Mazer bowl" (Saxon drink-
ing-cup), manufactured from the wood of the cottage which
Prince Rupert made his head-quarters during the siege. of
Liverpool. The cup was suitably inscribed. The Mayor
poured some wine into the cup, and Lord Talbot de Mala-
hide, quag the liquor, drank to the town of Liverpool
and its trade, warmly eulogising the Mayor and the
inhabitants for the hospitable manner in which, they had
entertained the British Association.

The soiree dosed with the performance of the National
Anthem.

THE EXCURSIONS

On Thursday, about 200 members of-the British Asso-
ciation visited the important manufacturing town of St.
Helens. They left Liverpool by a special train at 9 30,
and were met at the St. Helens station by a committee of
gentlemen. As the party were so numerous, it was deemed
advisable to divide it into three sections, which, in succes-
sion, visited the plate and crown glass works, the alkali
works, and the copper smelting works in St. Helens and
its neighbourhood. At four o'clock the savans repaired to
the Town-hall, where an elegant luncheon was provided,
Mr. Lynn, of the Waterloo Hotel, being the caterer.
Gilbert Greenall, Esq., M.P., presided ; most of the gen-
tlemen of that town and neighbourhood and many ladies
being present.
Another party made an excursion to the salt mines at
Northwich, which were illuminated on the occasion. A
third party of excursionists made a trip to Holyhead,
intending to visit, en route, Conway, Bangor, and other
places of interest in that district.

BANKING IN AMERICA.—A report of the secretary of
the Treasury has lately been published, giving an account
of the condition of the banks in the United States for a
series of years, by which it appears that the number of
banks has nearly doubled since 1844 ; their capital has in-
creased 40 per cent., their circulation nearly 200 per cent.,
and their deposits over 100 per cent., while their specie
has increased only 18 per cent., and their real estate has
actually diminished. Their notes, &e., in 1851 are
684p00p0, agaimt 306,000.000