The Press. — London, England, 1856-09-13 00:00:00

SEPT; 13, 1856. principle is applied by Brewster. Hold a thin book at arm's length midway between your eyes, and you will see the back of the book and its two sides at tho same time. Shut the right eye, and you will see the back of the book and the left side only ; shut the left eye, and you will sea the back and the right side only. Each eye then takes a separate view of the object, and it is by combining the two views that ordinary vision is effected. Paley ingeniously supposes that the period of infancy is engaged in learning to see. Galen distinctly asserts the prin ciple of binocular vision, and explains it in almost the terms of the above illustration. Leonardo da Vinci notices the principle as of practical importance in his art, and it has been referred to by others. The facts anti the principle being established, Mr. Elliot (according to our author), acting on the prin ciple that the relief of solid bodies seen by vision was the effect of the dissimilar pictures of those bodies seen by each eye, conceived the idea of an instrument -which should unite the separate views of a landscape, as separately seen by each eye, into one picture. It is admitted, however, that no latch instrument was :actually formed by him until 1839. Mr. Wheatstone, in June, 1838, read a paper to the Royal Society on binocular vision, showing how the vision of both eyes was composed of separate and dissimilar vision by each eye, and in the August of that same year read his paper to the British Association at Newcastle, and—we quote Sir David—" exhibited an instru " meat called a stereoscope, by which he united " the two dissimilar objects of solid bodies." It is indisputable that the term stereoscope was then first .employed by Wheatstone to designate his instrument, from anpeo;. solid, and altowitv, to see. The third stage of discovery was now reached, and the philo lophie toy, or apparatus to illustrate a great natural principle, was produced. Sir David Brewster—who thoagh an ingenious man is a most hot, uncandid, and ungenerous controversialist, afflicted with the genus irritabile from which philosophers are not always tree, though it is in them peculiarly unbecoming— begins at this point to contest the merit of Wheatstone's discovery. He labours to show that his theory was erroneous and his instrument imperfect. Let us :admit both points, and still Wheatstone would not the less be the inventor of the stereoscope, and en aitled to all the honours of the discovery. That the instrument should be susceptible of great improve ment was only what might be expected, and it is extremely unfortunate that original inventors, the nee who first gave to the airy nothing of a principle a local habitation and a name, should so often pass unrewarded, while the merely clever adapter, the man who filches another's brains and turns them to 'Lis own uses, should often reap all the substantial rewards of the discovery. Sir David, according to his own account, was led, in consequence of the discussion at the British Association on Wheatstone's paper, to make experiments with the stereoscope for himself, and to form that modification of the instrument which he terms the lenticular stereo scope. He had various kinds of this instrument made, he says, and employed it on photographic pictures, but be wag unable to induce any of the opticians of London or Edinburgh to bring it into use. In 1850, he took his instrument and binocular drawings to Paris. M. Duboscq saw the value and practical utility of the invention, and began to make them for sale. The fourth step of the discovery was attained. How far Brewster is entitled to the credit of converting a philosophical apparatus into a useful art should be left an open question until we hear zoom ; but it is impossible for any one to read his owe statement without being offended at his unfair and even virulent attempts to depreciate the merit of Wheatstone. To steal his instrument was bad enough —to depreciate his fame is worse still. We must warn Sir David that in his splenetic outbursts he writes down himself much more than the persons be attacks. His fury is blind ; be builds a wall that be may dash his own head against it. The book, After the chapter on the history of the stereoscope, gives a lucid explanation of its theory and uses. It its abundantly illustrated with engravings; its general .ability makes us regret the more that the author .cannot be fair and candid as well as acute and in forming. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED, Aro. 11. BOOKS. The Norlhmen in Cumberland and trealnierland. R. Fer- guson. Longmans The Census of Ireland for the Fear POI. Puri VI. General Report. Thorn and Sons The Barber's Shop Simpkin and Marshall The Science of Mind on Pneumatoloyy. Vol. J. bongraans The Communion of Labour. MTN. Jameson. Longmans The Hills of the Shalanuc. Author of " The Wide Wide World." Sampson Low and Co. Lays of Memory, Sacred and Social. Br a Mother and Son. Hurst and Blackett PULPHLETS. Descriptive Geography. Gilbert—English History. Gil. 'fit —St's Almanac fur Toro Thousand Years. Long k)xns—Correspondence relative to Neutral Rights. THE PRESS. WOMEN AS MANAGERS OF PRISONS. A ralsom governed chiefly by women—and the women as well as the men who directed it responsi• ble only to the Government, and not merely subor dinate like the female officers in our prisone--.IIM a singular spectacle ; and I hope it will be distinctly understood that in describing what I have seen, it is not with any idea that these arrangements could be, or ought to be, exactly imitated among us. I only suggest the facts as illustrative of the principle I advocate, and as worthy of the consideration of humane and philosophic thinkers. This prison at Neudorf is an experiment which as yet has only had a three years' trial, but it has so completely succeeded up to this time that they are preparing to organise eleven other prisons on the same plan. From a conversation I had with one of the Government officers, I could understand that the economy of the administration is a strong recom mendation, as well as the moral success. Its origin is worth mentioning. It began by the efforts made by two humane ladies to find a refuge for those wretched creatures of their own sex who, after un dergoing their term of punishment, were cast cut of the prisons. These ladies, not finding at hand any persons prepared to carry out their views, sent to France for two women of a religious order which was founded for the reformation of lost and depraved women ; and two of the sisters were sent from Angers accordingly. After a while this small institution attracted the notice of the Government. It was taken in hand officially, enlarged, and organised as a prison as well as a penitentiary; the original plan being strictly adhered to, and the same management retained. At the time that I visited it, this prison consisted of several different buildings and a large garden inclosed by high walls. The inmates were divided into tbree classes completely separated. The first were the criminals, the most desperate characters, brought there from the prisons at Vienna, and the very refuse of those prisons. They had been brought there six or eight at a time, fettered hand and foot, and guarded by soldiers and policemen. The second class, drafted from the first, were called the penitents; they were allowed to assist in the house, to cook, and to wash, and to work in the garden, which last was a great boon. There were more than fifty of this clam. The third class were the voluntaries, those who, when their term of punishment and penit ence h a d expired, preferred remaining in the house, and were allowed to do so. They were employed in work of which a part of the profit was retained for their benefit. There were about twelve or fourteen of this class. The whole number of criminals then in the prison exceeded two hundred, and they expected more the next day. _ _ To manage these unhappy, disordered, perverted creatures, there were twelve women, assisted by three chaplains, a surgeon, and a physician : none of the men resided in the house, hut visited it every day. The soldiers and police officers, who had been sent in the first instance as guards and gaolers, had been dismissed. The dignity, good sense, patience, and tenderness of this female board of management were extraordinary. The ventilation and the cleanliness were perfect; while the food, beds, and furniture, were of the very coarsest kind. The medical super vision was important, whero there was as much dis ease—of frightful, physical disease—as there was of moral disease, crime, and misery. There was a sur geon and physician, who visited daily. There was a dispensary, under the care of two sisters, who acted as chief nurses and apothecaries. One of these was busy with the sick, the other went round with me. She was a little active woman, not more than two or three and thirty, with a most cheerful face, and bright, kind, dark eyes. She bad been two years in the prison, and had previously received a careful training of five years—three years in the general duties of her vocation, and two years of medical training. She spoke with great intelligence of the differences of individual temperament, requiring a different medical and moral treatment. The sister who superintended the care of the cri minals was the oldest I saw, and she was bright looking also. The superior, who presided over the whole establishment, had a serious look, and a pale, careworn, but perfectly mild and dignified face. The difference between the countenances of those criminals who had lately arrived, and those who had been admitted into the class of penitents, was extra ordinary. The first were either stupid, gross, and vacant, or absolutely frightful from the predominance of evil propensities. The latter were at least humanised. When I expressed my astonishment that so small a number of women could manage such a set of wild and wicked creatures, the answer was, " If we want assistance we shall have it; but it is as easy with our system to manage two hundred or three hundred as one hundred or fifty." She then adde3 devoutly, " The power is not in ourselves, it is granted from above." It was plainithat she had the most perfect 883 faith in that power, and in the text which declared all things possible to faith. We must bear in mind that here ales and women were acting together ; that in all the regulations, re ligious and sanitary, there was mutual aid, mutual respect, an interchange of experience ; but the women were subordinate only to the east civil sad ecclesiastical authority; the internal administration rested with them.—Mrs. Jameanes Commaisson Of Labour. Ilusir. GLOUCESTER MUSICAL FESTIVAL. THERE is one reason why the annual festivals of the three choirs of Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford —the 132nd meeting of which has been given this week in the ancient and interesting city of Glouces ter—are likely to maintain a permanent popularity, and that is the strong feeling entertained by a lane body of conscientious churchmen that oratorios ought only to be performed within consecrated walls. It cannot be disguised that there are many devoted amateurs of music who consider that the sacred subjects treated by its greatest masters, in a school of composition which is of the most elevated order, should be heard, not in profane edifices, in which political and social questions are discussed, but in our churches and cathedrals. Anyone who has care fully watched the effect of an oratorio under a secular roof, and has also seen the profound reverence exhibited at the same work under the massive gran deur of the " arch'd and pond'rons roof," will never miss the opportunity of being present at a gathering of the three choirs. There are indescrib able sensations experienced by the auditory, who sit, as it were, amidst the dead as well as living. The architectural beauties of Gloucester Cathedral, ex quisitely fine and grand as they are, become more refined, more elevating, more moving and soul stirring, as the masses of glorious sounds penetrate through every portion of the magnificent building. And as the colossal nave, some of the mornings in the past week, even with a raised gallery at one extremity, was not sufficiently large to contain the influx of visitors, it waif not a little curious to see those festival seekers, who were thus excluded, taking refuge in the embellished gothic choir, rather than miss the opportunity of hearing the sacred performances. It is many years since the atten dances have been so large, a result which may partly be ascribed to the unusual number of stewards on this occasion—thirty-six in all—those spirited gen tlemen, be it gratefully remembered, who take upon themselves the financial responsibilities of the festival, having no higher rewards generally than the privilege of contributing their quota towards any deficiency, the honour of wearing rosettes at their button-holes for the week, and the pleasure of banding the fair artistes in and out of the orchestra. Perhaps the dignity may also assist the stewards in the pick of partners for the two balls, held on Tuesday and Friday (last night). It was confidently affirmed in Gloucester, however, that this time "surplus" is to be the exceptional word in the winding-up act of the committee ; and if this novel, and almost unpre cedented, event be realised, the noble funds in aid of the widows and orphans of clergymen of the three dioceses, in which the benefices, alas, are so small for the hard-working parochial pastors, will be in creased, independently of the collections made daily at the cathedral doors, hitherto the chief resource for the charity. The new Bishop of Glouosstea and Bristol, in his Tuesday's sermon, ably advocated the claims of his labouring brothers, taking for his text 2 Samuel v. 7 :—" The Lord maketh poor and rich; He bringeth low, and lifteth up." The Bishop laid chief stress on the great increase of district churches, and of the addition thereby to the list of necessitous clergymen, whose stipends left them living but a bare existence, and dying with them, threw on the world their widows and orphans. The sermon was brief, and the point practical if not elo quent. The execution of the works at these festivals has not kept pace altogether with musical advancement in other places. It is true that The Messiah and Elijah were better performed than on previous oeea sions, but on the whole, with the materials et princi- P als , chcrns, and band, engaged for the tom morn ing performances in the Cathedral and the theist, evening concerts in the Shire-hall, greater preci sion, more delicacy, and a finer ensemble ougbk to have been secured. Where the deficiency lies is patent to everybody. So long as the conductor's baton at these festivals remains in the hands of thi in experienced local organist, so long must there be mis haps, mistakes, and contrarieties. It is not reasonable to expect that once in three years a provincial pro.. fessor, however respectable his talents may be, eau bring together a mixed body of choralista and in* strumentalista, and a cosmopolitan phalanx of lead