The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-17 00:00:00

" Transfer of Land." In the second, presided over
by Sir J. Pakington, the Rev. Dr. Booth, chairman
of the council of the Society of Arts, read in detail
a very interesting report on the examination of the
Society of Arts. A good practical paper followed
from the Rev. Evan Davies, principal of the Normal
College, Swansea, upon the " Education of the
Middle Classes," and the proceedings of the section
were brought to a close by Dr. Humphries, who read
a not less interesting paper apon the " Plan and
Objects of the Royal College of Perceptors." In the
third section, which assembled under the conjoint
presidency of the Recorder of Birmingham and Mr.
Adderley, the question of " Reformation and Punish.
ment " was dealt with, and a very interesting paper,
based upon the proposition of " Crime growing with
Donsity of Population " was read by Mr. J. C.
Symons, one of her Majesty's Government School
Inspectors. The remedies, Mr. Symms observed,
for the suppression of this increase of crime were
the immediate repeal of that evil act for the multipli-
cation of beershops, the restriction of badly conducted
pubic-houses, better paid and more efficient polio
penalties upon publicans having drunken persons o
their premises, sufficient and well organised lodging
houses under municipal and sanitary inspection,
public baths and washhouses, and penalties upon
keepers of lodging-houses for allowing intermixture
of the sexes in sleeping apartments. Mr. Cane read
a paper on " The Distinctive Principles of Punish-
ment and Reformation." A paper was then read by
Mr. T. B. B iker upon " The Possible Extirpation of
Regular Crime ;" and the business of the section w,►s
brought to a close by a paper from Mr. A. Hill on
" The Industrial Schools Act of 1857." In the de.
partment of Social Economy, presided over by Sir
B. Brodie, a paper was read by Mr. E. Akroyd, M.P.,
on "Employers and Employed ;" and by Mr.
Hastings, on behalf of Miss Twining, upon the "Con-
dition of Workhouses."

On the third day, in Section 4, presided over by
Lord Stanley, M.P., Mr. W. H. Michael read a paper
on " The Intiuence of Habitation on the Community."
Mr. Michael pointed out the evils resulting f►om our
rapidly increasing population, which augmented at a
rate more than commensurate with house-building.
He suggestel that only two-thirds of land for build-
ing should be built upon, and the introduction of a
proper and efficient system of house inspection, with
good ventilation, drainage, and water supply. The
Rev. Hartshorne read a paptr on " Houses for
Working Men,'' and Mr. Ramsay a paper on " Density
of Population and Localisation of Dwellings." He
suggested that, instead .of expending million upon
million in rendering densriy•peupled districts more
safely habitable, the dispersion of the compressed
masses should be cautiously and gradually pro-
moted :

Let open and elevated spots, of good soil, climate, and
water-supply, be selected for occupation. Let wide streets
of detached double cottages, not more than two floors in
height, be built on these sites, so as to afford on the
average sixty square yards of surface to each inhabitant.
And to complete the project, let railway transit be pro-
vided (on fresh lines if necessary, and of a simpler and far
less expensive kind than that now afforded) for the con.
veyance of working people to and from the commercial
depots or manufacturing establishments where they might
be employed. Under recently discovered economical pro-
cesses, without reckoni ig on future improvements of this
sort, the total cost of railway conveyance need not equal
the difference between the rent of a rural cottage and a
set of rooms in some confined city dwelling. Then would
the city workman possess his little plot of garden, tha
charm of the English cottage, while his own vegetable
produce would both economise and improve the diet of
his family.
In the course of the discussion which followed the
reading of these papers, Lord STANLEY ( President
of the Section) pointed out as a subject for consi-
deratien, as well as those which had been submitted,
the indifference of the former class to ventilation.
The proceedings on the evening of the second day
derived additional interest from the opening of the
Brougham and Midland Institute, upon which occa-
sion Lord Brougham was presented with an address
by the president of tht. institute, Lord Hatherton.
Both Lord Brougham tUit Lord Stanley, D 1 .P.,
spok s
on the occasion, and, aft&.: prizes had been distri-
buted among the pupils of the institute, the pro-
ceedings terminated. In the evening the members
were entertained at a grand banquet.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE NATIONAL. MEDALS.
THE annual distribution of the national medals for
drawing amongst th,t students of the Schools of Art
of the United Kingdom, took place at the close of
last week in the Manchester Town-hall, under tho
presidency of Earl Granville, and before a brilliant
assembly.
The proceedings were opened by Mr. REP-
ORAVE, who gave an interesting account of the
system of Government aid t i schools of design.
Any town which chose to take the trouble of regis-
tering 500 students, or one per cent. of the popula-
tion, who were willing to pay 6d. for instruction for