The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-04 00:00:00

MATHFEISTICAL PNVEICAL SCIENCE.

Papers were read by the Rev. 1 ',Amor 1 °well on lumi-
nous meteon ; by Robert Russell on the action
of these storms to which the rotatory theory has been
applied : by '.V. It. Burt, on the zodiacal light ; by
W. J. N. Rankine, on the re-concentration of thelnecha-
nical energy of the universe, also • paper on the causes of
the teens of the temperature of rivers above that of the '
atmosphere ; by Profeseor W. Thomson, on certain m■gne-
tie curves, with electrical and hydrodynamical applications,
also on the mutual attraction between two electrified sphe-
rical conductors; by Si, David Brewster, on the form of
images produced by lenses and mirrors of different sizes ;
by Rev. B. Powell, on a peculiarity of vision, also an ac-
count of a rock crystal lens and decomposed glue found in
Nineveh, • paper on luminous beams, and on converging
sunbeams.

CHEMICAL SCIENCE.

Papers were read by Thomas Woods, M.D., on the heat
produced by the combination of metals with oxygen, also a
paper on chemical combination; by rt3lC4llO, Hodges, on
the composaion and economy of the its: plant; and by Dr.
Andrews, on the atomic weights of platinum and barium.

OZOOILAPUT AND ETIINOLUOT.

In this eectioe, which was presided over by Colonel
Chesney,
Captain Au.ax, R.N., called public attendee to a sub-
ject of considerable ineperersee is eseeeshe with the
facility of interestleasi animineiesidee er the extension
of commerce ; sanely, the pegged to *pee another route
to the east by means of the river Euphrates, which would
be much shorter and possess other advantages over the
existing lines of communication.
The Rev. Dr. Iltricws then read a learned essay on the
ethnological bearing of the recent discoveries in connexion
with the Assyrian inscriptions.
W. BOLLAIRT, EEL., F. 0.8., read an interesting paper
on salt.

STATISTICS.
His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, presided in this
section. _ _

Leint..Colonel Sinai opened the proceedings by reading
• paper on theecnsus of the island of Bombay.
One of the secretaries then read a paper on the produc-
tive industry of Paris, upon which a conversation took
place, Colonel Sykes and other gentlemen observing that,
owing to the high rate of wages obtained by shoemakers
and other workmen, there was n, fear that the competi-
rim of French production would have an injurious effect
upon home manufacture, the fact being, notwithstanding
the outcry raised against importations, that the home maker
could in such articles undersell the foreigner.
Professor HANCOCK then read an interesting essay on the
question—Are there any impedimenta to the fair competi-
tion of free labour with slave labour in the West Indies?
The Archbishop of Dustin alluded to a pamphlet pub-
lished about 20 years ago by Dr. Hinds, the present Bishop of
' Norwich, who, being 'native of Barbadoes, having experience
on the subject, and • decided abolitionist, was well qualified
to give an opinion. The pamphlet contained a proposal,
founded on the conviction that a state of slavery very much
disqualified people from maintaining themselves by free
labour, and suggested, therefore, that the slaves should be
properly qualified for freedom by gradual training. No per- I
son appeared so well fitted to give this qualification as the
owner ; and the plan which Dr. Hinds proposed was,that there
should be an ad micros tax upon the property in slaves,
the value of each to be fixed by the pproprietor, while the
government reserved a right to purchw the slave at the
price set upon him, so that the owner had an interest in not
depreciating him, and that the slave should then be
enabled, by education, to work out his own freedom. The
archbishop also referred to a powerful work upon the sub-
ject, entitled, " Uncle Tom's Cabin," and refuted • fallacy
contained in it, which he thought likely to defeat the object
of the writer. It was to the effect that the condition of
society in Europe was not essentially different from the
slave states of America. The capitalist being virtually •
slaveholder, and the only difference between the slave
and the poor Ire* labourer being that the former must work
or be flogged, while the latter must work or be starved. In
this comparison, however, the total disruption of family ties
in the case of the slave was entirely overlooked.
A long and warm discussion, in which Messrs. Neale, of
Manchester, Testes, Colonel Sykes, and other gentlemen,
took part, then ensued._

117CIANICAL lICTLXI7I.
W. Fairbairn, Eq., presented a preliminary report on
mechanical properties of metals, Ike.; and papers were road
by Thos. M. Gladstone Esq., onmalleable iron for girders;
by Matthew Whyttla, Gladstone,
Auckland, New Zealand, on a
new Sax machine (communicated by Sir David Brewster) ;
by Captain Joseph Saunders, on a new design for safety
harbour', and by George Clarke, Eq., on the evolution of
gas in the Wallsend Colliery.