The Press. — London, England, 1856-08-09 00:00:00

752 THE Limn MAYOR on Tuesday laid the corner stone of a new asylum for fatherless children at Coniston. near Croydon. The ceremony was, as usual, followed by a dejeuner. Subscriptions to the amount of 3,500/. were announced. His lordship this week has also paid his usual conservancy visit down the river. THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S RETURNS TOR THE WEEK show 1,025 deaths against 1,739 births. Six teen deaths occurred from English cholera, and 125 from diarrhoea. Vrobintial. THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. TKE twenty-sixth annual meeting opened on Wed nesday at Cheltenham. The college has been placed at the disposal of the society, and it is anticipated that the meeting will be one of the most successful for many years past. Dr. Daubeney, the president elect, delivered his inaugural address on Wednesday, taking for his subject "The Progress of Physical Science within the last twenty years." The learned President commenced with chemistry, of which science twenty years ago little was known beyond what was comprehended within the limits of tbe mineral kingdom ; but, from the methods of analyses introduced by Liebig, great practical results bad already followed, the most important of which was the possibility of forming by art compounds supposed to be only producible by natural pro ceases : Aheady, indeed, chemistry has given token of her powers by threatening to alter the course of commerce, and to reverse the tide of human industry. Thus she has discovered, it is said, a substitute for the cochineal insect in a beautiful dye producible from guano. She has shown that our supply of animal food might be obtained at a cheaper rate from the antipodes by simply boiling down the juices of the flesh of cattle now wasted and thrown aside in those countries, and importing the extract in a state of concentration. She has pointed out that one of the earths which constitute the principal material of our globe contains a metal as light as glass, as malleable and ductile u copper, and as little liable to rust as silver; thus EcLiming properties so valuable that. when means have t l i ei gund of separating it economically from its are, it will be capable of superseding the metals in common use, and thus of rendering metallurgy an employment, not of certain districts only, bat of every part of the earth to which science and civilisation have penetrated. With respect to the application of chemical dis coveries to agricultural purposes, and to the late con troversies between Liebig and certain experimental agriculturalists, Dr. Daubeney observed : In so far as concerns the relative advantages of mineral and arnmoniacal manures, I presume there is little room for controversy; for, although most soils may contain a suffi ciency of the inorganic constituents required by the crop, it by no means follows that the latter are always in an available condition ; and hence it may well happen that in most cases in which land has been long under cultivation, the former class of manures becomes, as Baron Liebig asserts, a matter of paramount necessity. Now, that the same necessity exists for the addition of ammoniacal manures can hardly be contended when we reflect that, at the first commencement of vegetable life, every existing species of plant must have obtained its nourishment solely from the gaseous constituents of the atmosphere and from the mineral contents of the rock in which it vegetated. The only divergence of opinion, therefbre, that can arise relates to the degree of their respective utility in the exist. ing state of our agriculture, and to the soundness of Baron Liebig's position, that a plant rooted in a soil well charged with all the requisite mineral ingredients, and in all other respects in a condition calculated to allow of healthy vegetation, may sooner or later be age to draw from the atmosphere whatever else is required for its full develop ment. And does not, I would ask, this latter position derive some support from the luxuriant vegetation of the tropics, where art certainly contributes nothing towards the result? And is it not also favored by such experi ments as those carried on at Lois Weedon in Northamp tonshire, where the most luxuriant wheat crops have been obtained for a number of consecutive years without manure of any kind, simply by following out the Tullian system of stirring up and pulverising the soil? How, too, are we to explain that capacity of subsisting without any artificial supply of ammonia which Mr. Levee is led by his experiments to attribute to turnips and ether plants of similar organisation, unless we assume that the power residing in the leaves of absorbing ammonia from the air may render plants, in some cases at least, indepen dent of any extraneous aid v Still the practical question remains whether, admitting the theo retical truth of Ban n ► Liebig's position, a lamer expendi ture of capital will not be required for bringing a given farm into a condition to dispense with ammoniao.l manures than for procuring those materials which contain that in gredient ready for use. Dr. Daubeney then touched upon the departments of botany and vegetable physiology, two branches of natutal science which had not taken such rapid strides as chemistry or geology, though through the improvements in the microscope many interesting and useful discoveri,'s as to the propagation and structure of plants bad been made by Brown, Brong niart, and others, and many curious andogies be tween plants and animals clearly traced. With THE PRESS. respect to geology, among the principles recently re garded as axiom 4 none seemed so little likely to be disputed as this : That the classes of animals and vegetable which pos. sassed the most complicated structure were preceded by °thereof a more simple one ; and that when we traced back the succession of beings to the lowest and the earliest of the sedimentary formations, we arrived at length at a class of rocks the deposition of which must be inferred, from the almost entire absence of organic remains, to have followed very soon after the first dawn of creation. But the recognition of the footsteps and remains of reptiles in beds of an earlier date than was before assigned to them tended to corroborate the inferences which had been pre viously deduced from the discovery, in a few rare in stances, in rocks of the secondary age, of mammalian re mains ; and this has induced certain eminent geologists boldly to dispute whether from the earliest to the latest period of the earth's history any gradation of beings can in reality be detected. Dr. Daubeney next traced the progress of geographi cal science, summed up the various schemes of discovery now on foot, and concluded his address by an eloquent defence of scientific studies against the vulgar prejudice that they are inimical to revealed religion. Lord Stanley addressed the Association on Thurs day on the subject of economic science and statistics. The noble lord, in the course of his remarks, said : Statistics are the function of the State in a sense in which no other science is so. The details of population, of employment, of instruction, of religions worship, of commerce, and of health, are already recorded in official publications. Those of agricultural production we may hope will shortly follow. The branch which 1 principally note as deficient is that which relates to civil and criminal judicature. Lord Brougham has brought this subject before the House of Lords, and even embodied in a bill the data on which information is needed. We require a regular and uniform record to be kept of every fact con nected with the administration of the law. We require to know, in civil proceedings especially, the number and na ture of snits that go to each court, the length of time occu pied in their decision, the nature of that decision, and the cost to the parties. Our criminal returns might he fuller than they are. They give us at present absolutely no information respecting that vast class of offences (of late much increased) which aro dealt with under sum mary jurisdiction. It is not wise in any country to copy servilely the practices of another; local differences may create and necessitate diversity of procedure; but I may refer to the annual reports (two yearly volumes) of the Minister of Justice in France as a sample of an almost perfect arrangement of complicated statistical details. One result of that publication is to show a vast local differ ence between department and department in the nature and amount of crime. It is that when such a difference is shown by the lapse of • suffic 4 ent period to be chronic, and not merely casual, the Government whose attention is thus in vited must feel itself bound to investigate the source of the evil, and, if possible, to provide a cure. In fact, an executive regularly supplied with such knowledge may be said to have its finger on the pulse of every province, ready at the first symptom of disease to intervene with requisite remedy. There is another suggestion which I may make, and which, indeed, connects itself with this last. I allude to the advantage—l might almost say the necessity—of estab lishing a statistical department of Government charged with the annual publication of such facts relative to the management of national affairs as are reducible to nume rical expression. We have statistics enough presented to Parliament every session, but they are, in the great majo rity of cases, called for by individuals. They are drawn out to snit the particular purpose of those who move for them : they are accordingly deficient in unity, and often of no use beyond the moment. Now, I speak from some personal observation when I say that, at a cost hardly greater than that of these desultory fragmentary isolated returns ( which have in addition the inconvenience, coming as they do at unexpected times, and without any regularity, of throwing a sudden increase of work on particular officers), it would be possible to present to the nation such a yearly résumé of administrative statistics as should to a very great degree supersede the present system (if system it can be called) of moving for returns as and when they are wanted. !Hear. hear.) I have said that I think a statistical department desirable instead of a statistical branch in every department, because the former method gives better security for unity of plan, and because the work will be best done by those whose sole and undivided business it is. have not referred to the meetings of the International Congress of Brussels and Paris because, on such a subject, I could offer no remark that would not natnrally occur to those whom I address. Such meetings have a twofold value ; first, they extend the field of statistical research, and we have seen that accuracy of result varies directly as the magnitude of the area of investigation ; secondly, they form a new link between nation and nation, because, though speech differs. arithmetical notation is the same everywhere. In proportion, therefore, as numerical is substituted for descriptive statement, we approach nearer to that otherwise impracticable dream of philosophers—a universal language. There is. I believe I may state, a probability of the congress of 1857 being held in London, an expectation which seems both natnral and reasonable, ins-much, as has been averred in public and not denied, that the first design of holding such international meet ings was sturgested by the analogy of the Hyde-park Exhi bition of 18.51. Should the event I allude to take place, it will become the duty of all concerned in statistical science to see that such an opportunity does not pass un• improved; so that him may find us with a thorougUy SATURD, organised system for the annual collection and pul , of national facts, assimilated, if possible, to the sv . France and Belgium ; for it must be borne in nii the objects to be arrived at are two—one, the adopt method as perfect in itself as possible; the other, a milation of that method to those which prevail else so that nations may mutually profit by each other's rience. (Hear, hear.) . _ The society, it is believed, is about to be rep to hold its next yearly meetiug at Manchester. •MNIM ion MAJOR-GENERAL WINDHAM, who was entertained at a grand banquet at Norwich last Friday, the Ist instant, and presented with two swords of honour, in the course of his reply, after alluding to his old absc ciations with the county, said that Norfolk men were famous for their attachment to their homesteads I well remember one old man at Felbrigg who lived to to be upwards of 90, and who was only beyond the hundred of North Erpineham three times in his life—twice to come to Norwich, and once to go to Lynn—(laughter)—and when he arrived at Lynn he was so near the confines of the county that he at once became ill. ( Renewed laughter.' I well remember the first attack on the Redan on the 18th of June, 1855. I was not employed in that attack. I was merely in reserve, and I incurred no more danger than any of my friends whom I see around me. I happened to be sent by Sir H. Bentinck to find out what was going on, when I saw a man two or three yards ahead of me walking along the trench. A round•shot flew over the parapet, and almost hid him in dust. I thought he was killed; but when the dust subdued I saw an individual whose coun tenance presented a curious aimixture of fright and joy. Scratching his head, he said to me, " Why, dash my buttons, but that was most amazin nigh." (Laughter.) The moment he opened his mouth I knew from what county he came—( a laugh)—and I said, '," Ay, ay, my boy, we'd much better be digging trenches at 3d. a rod in Norfolk than fighting here." (Renewed laughter.) He was astonished that I bad bit upon his native county, and his only reply was, " What are yew few from Norfolk ? " ( Laughter and cheers.) The chairman, Lord Albemarle, in proposing the gallant general's health, called him the " Hero of the Redan." General Windham said : I feel some delicacy in allowing that title to be conferred upon me. I received orders from General Markham to attack the Redan about three o'clock on the afternoon of the day previous to that on which the assault took place. I received those orders, I trust, calmly. I looked into them to the best of my ability. I went home. I arranged all my affairs for this world, and, as far as time would allow me, those of the world to come. (Hear, hear.) I said my prayers that night with sincerity; I slept soundly; I woke early, and entered the battle. If that constitutes a hero, you may give me the title. (Cheers.) There were many others who did their duty just as well as I did. When I look at Welsford, and Hanxick, and Gough, and Unett, who commanded parties of the light division ; when T look at Tyler, and Cuddy, and others in my own division; when I look again at Lysons of the 23rd, and Maude of the 3rd, who fought with the enemy hand to band at the Madan, I must say I should be a dirty and a scurvy fellow if l appropriated all your praise to myself. (Loud cheers.) Believe me, that my title as " Hero of the Redan " is more due to my seniority than to my superiority. I detest false humility as much as Ido vain boasting. I don't pretend that I did not do my duty like a soldier ; but I say also that there were scores of others, of all ranks, who did their duty quite as well as I did. (" Hear," and cheers.) I feel proud that Sir James Simpson singled me out to spviik of me with kinduesas ; that General Markbam mentioned me in terms of approbation ; and that my much respected friend, Sir W. Codrington, the commander-in-chief in the Crimea, did the same. When I cast my eye round this table, F see many young officers present who, I doubt not, will own I did my duty fairly ; arid 1 trust no one will be able to say that I ever did, or that I ever will, bear my honours with undue pride. (Loud cheers.) The gallant general concluded by again thanking the company for the cordial reception they had given him, and resumed his seat amid enthusia.tic applause. In the morning General Windham had been pm seated with an address from the corporation. In reply to the Mayor, the gallant general told the history of the attack upon the Redan, and put the matter upon its proper footing : With regard to the attack on the Redan, in connection with which you have been pleased to speak so kindly of me, I may say that I believe, in a military point of view, no one doubted that the distance was too great ; but Sir James Simp s on had no power to alter the arrangements when it was decided that the French should attack the Malakoff, and various points of the town. We had, then, nothing to do but to attack the Redan. It was attacked with good apirit—(cheers)—but from an immense distance. We held it for an hour, but we were ultimately reptil•ed. Surely, if we lost any prestige by having attacked the Redan, and not having carried it. we should have lost in- finitely more if we had been cowards enough not to make the attack at all. (" Hear," and cheers.) We canto t blame our commander•in-chief for having said, " Although we are not ready, and in proper position to attack the Redan at the distance of 9.2 4 9 yards, it shall never Le said that the English army stood by with folded stills and allowed the French to take Sebastopol." ( Loud cheers.) If we have lost prestige as it is, we should have lost infi nitely more if we had not made the attack ; and, although I don't pretend to he the hero you would make me. would rather have been buried in the ditch of the liedan with the second division and the light division above toe than that the British army should not have borne its fair share in the assault on that occasion. (Loud cheers.)