350 PROCEEDINGS OP PROVINCIAL SOCIETIES. 



and reading-rooms, would do much to efiect this ; but we fear the 

 subscriptions to the fund for the attainment of this object advance 

 but slowly. This is discouraging, but we cannot help thinking that 

 if the project were well brought before the public and a vigorous 

 canvass instituted, the required sum of JEIOOO. which would suffice 

 to fulfil the moderate wishes of the committee, might be raised in 

 donations in a town like Birmingham. 



The Classes have proceeded under their former superintendence, 

 and the degree of order and attention which is observable, is truly 

 gratifying. The Institution is much indebted to Mr. Daniel 

 Wright, the superintendent of the classes of writing, arithmetic, 

 mathematics, &c., for his sedulous, conscientious, and energetic atten- 

 tion to the work he has undertaken. 



The Drawing Class is large, and has, during the present year, been 

 ably conducted by a gentleman engaged in manufacture, who kindly 

 rendered his services gratuitously, on the disinterested condition 

 that a certain sum should be expended in the purchase of patterns. 

 The spirit of this class has also received a further impetus from an 

 intimation from Mr. Wyatt, the Secretary of the Society of Arts, 

 that those pupils of the class who have attained to a certain pro- 

 ficiency in drawing the human figure, would be received as students 

 in the Plaster Academy of the Society of Arts. 



The Museum of the School of Medicine, consisting of specimens 

 in natural history, and physiological and anatomical models and 

 preparations, was liberally opened to the members of the Institution 

 each evening during two weeks in the month of August, and was 

 well attended. 



The Lectures during the last quarter, have been — two on the 

 Military Antiquites of Warwickshire, by Mr. Hawkes; one on the 

 Rise and Progress of the Ancient System of Philosophy, by Mr. J. 

 T. Smith ; one on the Comet of Halley, by the Rev. M. Ward ; 

 four on Astronomy, by Mr. Young. For the ensuing three months 

 there is a prospect of a short but interesting course on Natural 

 History, prepared by Dr. Shirley Palmer ; of some interesting 

 Lectures on the Moral and Physical Peculiarities of the Human 

 Species, from Mr. Watts, of Birmingham ; and probably an arrange- 

 ment will be made with the gentlemen who may be engaged by the 

 Philosophical Institution, to repeat a portion of their Lectures to 

 the Mechanics' Institution. 



LIVERPOOL 

 LITERARY, SCIENTIFIC, AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTION. 



Among the institutions which the enlightened and improving 

 spirit of the age has called into existence, the Literary, Scientific, 

 and Commercial Institution, of this second metropolis of the British 



