each. The Council resolved to re-print it, especially as it was thought desirable to publish all the volumes of the Society. This has been done, and the volume may now be procured by the members, at less than half its original cost. As every copy of this re-print is intended for sale, the expenditure under this head may be regarded in the light of an investment of a portion of the funds. With the hope of making the Society more useful, an effort has been made to put the Library and Museum in order, and make their contents thoroughly available to the members. Accordingly, a catalogue of both has been formally made out, and laid before the Council by the Librarian and Curator respectively. The Council are in treaty for a suitable place of deposit for them; and they hope that the arrangements may be completed early in this Session. In the meanwhile, several of the volumes have been bound, and miscellaneous pamphlets have been arranged. About the middle of the Session, the attention of the members was drawn, “by one of themselves," to the best means of promoting Science in the locality; and the remarks made, though privately issued, were thought to be of such importance as to call for a more extended and formal circulation. The substance of them was therefore, by the direction of the Society, printed in the Proceedings, with a suitable introduction; and an edition from the standing types was distributed with an accompanying circular. This, of course, was a special act, the good effects of which it was hoped would be seen during several Sessions; and the numerous kind responses which it has already elicited have satisfied the Council that this was the exercise of a wise discretion. In the course of the Session, the Diploma which had been prepared for the use of the members, was issued to all those within the limits of the town delivery; and a small charge was made for the mere cost of paper and printing. The copies for the more distant members-which it was inconvenient to forward were also prepared; and they may be had on application to the Honorary Curator. From the moment that the Society extended its objects and operations, it was foreseen that the duties would be so heavy-even those of a routine and mechanical kind—as to require the appointment of an Assistant Secretary. For this the new Laws had sufficiently provided; and one of the earliest acts of the Council of the past Session, was to set apart a specific sum, as a permanent remuneration for the suitable discharge of the duties. They have also appointed a gentleman, in whose zeal and ability they have much confidence; that the labours of the Session may at once proceed regularly, without undue pressure upon any of their Honorary Officers. During the past Session, however, in which many additional duties were necessary, and while the detailed course of proceeding was not yet established, they directed that the same sum should be employed, in procuring such assistance as the circumstances required. For a detailed account of the business of the Session, the Council refer with pleasure to the seventh volume of Transactions, which has just been issued to the members. They venture to believe, that few volumes, equal in interest and value, have issued from the Liverpool press. It contains more than 70 illustrations; the separation of the Transactions from the Proceedings is an obvious improvement; and the quality of the papers is of a superior kind. Though the past Session was the first occasion on which the members felt themselves called upon to investigate Scientific subjects specifically, it will be seen that Science occupies rather more than one-third of the papers in the Transactions. The Council believe that the formal publication of the volumes will benefit the Society both in a moral and material point of view. The number of members on the roll of the Society, during the past Session, was as follows-Resident 248, Non-resident 164, lady associates 4; total 416 paying members. There are also 28 Honorary members, to whom the volumes are sent without payment. The estimated income of the Society is about £340; and the Council are of opinion that £250 will in general suffice for the publication of a handsome volume, and for the working expenses of the Society. On this occasion, they felt that they would be justified in exceeding these limits; as they were required not merely to conduct the business of a single Session, but also to lay a secure foundation upon which the labours of their successors may be safely built. The actual receipts by the Treasurer, during the Session, have amounted to £328 Os. 6d., and the whole Sessional expenses to £316 128.; leaving a balance to the credit of the Session of £11 8s. 6d. The Council felt that they could not better employ this sum, and the funds which remained in the Treasurer's hands after the re-printing of volume I, than in putting the Society's property in order, and preparing to turn the whole of it to a practical and useful account. Their successors in office will be required to make a small outlay of a similar kind, in printing a Catalogue of the Library, and in procuring suitable furniture; after which, it is expected that the operations and the expenses of the Society will be of a uniform character from year to year. The volume for the past session is of so much interest, that the Council did not hesitate to print a larger edition of it than of any of the previous ones. Several hundred copies are therefore left in stock, for sale to the public and to present and future members. If the whole of the volumes in stock be estimated at members' prices, their value will be about £700. If to this we add £70 of arrears, and the moderate estimate of £250 for the Library, Museum, and miscellaneous property of the Society, we have in round figures, £1000 worth of property realized during the short period of seven years. The donation of numerous valuable illustrations bas contributed in no small degree to the high character which the volumes have sustained; and the Library and Museum are almost exclusively the product of donations, of which an unusually large number were made in the course of last Session. One of the extra duties discharged during the past Session, has been the extension of that friendly reciprocity which prevails between other learned Societies and this one. Several Societies, chiefly of a scientific character, have expressed their readiness to reciprocate publications with us; and similar efforts will be made till all the principal learned Societies in the kingdom be included in the arrangement; as well as an increased number of those on the Continent and in America. In connexion with this subject it may be mentioned, that the members of the Society undertook an excursion to Shrewsbury, on Thursday the 9th of August, when they were admitted for the day to the Museum and meetings of the Congress of the Archæological Institute. On the part of this Society, and by the direction of the Council, they invited the members of the Institute to meet at some convenient time, within the limits of the two counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. Again, at the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, held this year at Glasgow, your Delegates had the pleasure to present copies of the last volume of Transactions, for the Library of the Association itself, and also to the distinguished individuals whom they enrolled last year as Honorary Members. The Council have to deplore, in common with the members at large, the loss of several valued friends who have been removed by death. Besides ordinary members, the Society has lost two of its most prominent officers since the close of the meetings in May. The first of these was the Earl of Sefton, President of the Society, and one of its original members; and the other, still more recently, Archdeacon Brooks, one of the Vice-Presidents from the first, and who on several occasions occupied the chair at the meetings of the Society. The high estimation in which both were held, has been shown by the spontaneous tributes of numerous sorrowing survivors; and the members are fully sensible of the loss which this Society has sustained by the bereavement, as well as the public in general. In suggesting the names of other gentlemen to occupy the places of those who retire, the Council have acted to the best of their judgment; and they have the gratification of knowing that those who succeed them will have a less difficult task than that which fell to themselves. They retire from office, grateful for the unvarying kindness and support which have enabled them to realise such a measure of success; and confident that the future progress of the Society will be the best commentary on the efforts which they have made in its cause. The Treasurer's Balance Sheet, signed by the Auditors, was also read. HISTORIC SOCIETY-Sessional Income, in Account with THOS. AVISON, Esq., Treasurer. HISTORIC SOCIETY-Property and Cash, in Account with THOS. AVISON, Esq., Treasurer. It was moved by J. T. DANSON, F.S.S., seconded by THOMAS MOORE, SEN., Esq., and resolved, That the Report be adopted; and that it be printed and circulated with the It was moved by JOHN POOLE, Esq., seconded by JOSEPH BOULT, Esq., and resolved,That the Abstract of the Treasurer's Accounts now read, be passed and printed with the Report. It was moved by DR. HUME, seconded by DAVID Buxton, Esq., and resolved,- It was moved by THOMAS GRAY, Esq., seconded by DR. MACINTYRE, and resolved,That the thanks of the Society be given to the retiring Council and Officers, for their services during the past Session. It was moved by JOSEPH BOULT, Esq,, seconded by J. T. DANSON, F.S.S., and resolved, That the thanks of the Society are especially due to the Rev. Dr. Hume, for his invaluable services in the office of Honorary Secretary, since the Society was established; by which its present position has been mainly secured. A Ballot having been taken for the Officers and Sectional Members of Council, by means of the slips forwarded to the members, the result was announced by the Chairman. (See p. ii.) On the motion of the REV. THOMAS MOORE, M.A., a vote of thanks to the Chairman was passed by acclamation. 1st November, 1855.-MISCELLANEOUS MEETING. J. T. DANSON, F.S.S., V.P., in the Chair. The following Donations were laid upon the table : From the Society. Proceedings of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool, during the 44th Session, 1854-55. No. 9. From the Society. Proceedings of the Liverpool Architectural and Archæological Society, Volume II, Part 1, 1850-51. From the Society. Transactions, Laws, Bye-Laws, and Sixth Annual Report of the Liverpool Chemists' Association, with list of the officers and members, also a Catalogue of the Books belonging to the Library, and a list of Donors to the Museum fund, 1855. From the Author. Report of the General Board of Health, on a Preliminary From John Mather, Esq. Accounts of the Trustees of the Liverpool Docks, for A List of Voters in the Southern Division of the County Palatine of Lancaster, for the Hundred of West Derby. From Dr. Hume. Geological Notices of the Environs of Glasgow, the shores of From the Author. Collectanea Antiqua. By Charles Roach Smith, F.S.A., From the Author. Views of Liverpool, about the year 1655 and in 1855, with Mr. Bloxam exhibited the first impression of an accurate portrait of Mr. Russell, the Crimean Correspondent of the Times. Mr. Gray drew attention to a new manure, the basis of which is phosphate of lime. It is a natural deposit on some of the islands of the Gulf of Mexico. He also exhibited a blank marriage certificate from Gretna Green. Mr. Macfie exhibited a large number of ancient objects in bronze and brass. A detailed description of them on some future occasion, was promised to the Society. Dr. Hume pointed out peculiar characteristics of some idols of the ancient Mexicans, as figured in a large work illustrative of Mexico.* Mr. Gray called the attention of the Society to two letters in the London Times of that day, one from Walter Savage Landor concerning an aged descendant of Defoe, the other from Charles Dickens, Thomas Carlyle, and John Foster, in reference to the god-daughter of Dr. Johnson. Both of these aged persons required pecuniary assistance; and Mr. Gray noticed the letters for their sakes. The Rev. John James Moss, M.A., exhibited an interesting case of WATCHES, and read the following remarks descriptive of them. The watches exhibited, though only the nucleus of a collection, and by no means a complete series, are interesting as individual specimens of the art at various periods, from the time of Elizabeth to the commencement of the last century. They are most of them perfect, and of very elegant design and workmanship. In addition to this, some of them are of historical interest, and they formed part of the late Mr. Bernal's collection. No. 1 is a memento mori watch, of the time of Elizabeth, made by Charles Robinet,— from his name, an English maker. It has Latin mottoes round portions of the skull, which forms the case. The watch is of a similar kind, though differing in size and material, to that presented by Mary Queen of Scots to Mary Setoun of the house of Wintoun, one of the four Maries, maids of honour to their unfortunate Sovereign. This latter is now in the possession of the Lauder family. An engraving of it, in the Illustrated News Almanac for 1852, is sufficiently correct for comparison. No. 2 is a scolloped or padlock locket-shaped watch, with crystal front and ribbed crystal back. The sides are of gilt metal. It is figured in Mr. Bernal's catalogue, and was made by Gio Balt Nascarone. It belongs to the same period as the last described. No. 3 is a silver watch purchased at Mr. Bernal's sale, and said to have been given by Charles I to Colonel Hammond at Carisbrooke. I believe there is no account of this gift in any history or memoir of that monarch; but it was alluded to as a relic of him by Mr. Pettigrew, at the last meeting of the British Archæological Association. In the centre of the outer case there is an engraving of the monarch praying as he is represented in the frontispiece of Eikon Basilike. At the back of the inner case is the engraving of a man in a gown praying, with our Saviour above, and the legend in a scroll,—" And what I sai to you I sai unto all,-watch." I may mention it as curious that this quotation from Scripture is not exactly according to our authorized translation, the Geneva version, or that by Cranmer. The watch was made in London, by Richard Bower. Nos. 4 to 7 are gold watches enamelled by the famous enamellers of Blois. This art, according to Mr. Morgan, in a Paper of his on watches in the Archæologia, was first used for such a purpose by Toutin in 1640, and ceased about the year 1680, or towards the close of the century. His most celebrated pupil, Vanguer Piu, painted the watch said to have belonged to Anne of Austria, which I purchased at Mr. Bernal's sale. It is indeed a specimen as worthy of her taste as of the artist's celebrity. (See plate.) Another of Toutin's pupils named Huoud painted the watch representing the Roman lady who nourished her father condemned to starvation. She was permitted to see him daily—and her history has, as you are all aware, been immortalized by Byron. * "Viage Pintoresco y Arqeolojico sobre la parte mas interesante de la Republica Mejicana, a los anos transcurridos, des de 1829 hasta 1834, por le Arquitecto Don Carlos Nebel, 50 laminas Lito grafidas, con su texto explicativo. Paris y Mejico MDCCCXXXIX.' |