The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

[Stamped, ld. Add'dotal.]

Sir Charles Lyell was cordially cheered at the various
palate of his address.
The Mayor of BATH, in an eloquent speech, proposed •
vote of thanks to Sir Charles Lyell for his instructive and
admirable address. It was Dot aseemarr that he should
say how gratefully they had all listened to the vaned
results of long experience, of extensive travel, of accurate
observation, of genial communication with other minds, of
quiet, truth-loving, impartial thought. (Chews.) But.
after all. it should be remembered that this gathering,
large as it was, was but • email part of the number by
whom the address would be appreciated; but speaking
for) his fellow-citizens, be offered Sir Charles their
warmest thanks for so gracefully introducing as er
fit subject for the consideration of the meeting the geolo-
gical phenomena of Altair own mineral waters. Ile begged
to thank thedistinguithed mambas of;the association who
bad honoured Bath with their presence, and especially re-
ferred to the pumice of the American minister as a proof
of the friendly feeling between the two countries.
Sir RODER/CK MURCHLSON said—Ladies and gentlemen,
I rise with sincere gratification to second the motion which
has been so ably brought to your notice by the mayor of
Bath. When at our last meeting at Newcastle I had the
gratification of being allowed to move that the British
Association should this year mumble at Bath, a city with
which I have been oonouted on away 0001601111 from
my boyhood—a period of sixty years—l can truly say that
my gratification was vastly enhanced by the foreknowledge
that if my proposal were adopted we should not only meet
at a phia singularly attractive to ell geologists, but that
we should have at our bead a man admirably qualified to
do full justice to the science of geology and physical geo-
graphy, to the cultivation of which I have devoted my life.
No person, perhaps, now present has bed so many oppor.
trinities as myself of estimating the influence which Sir
Charles Lyell has exercised in the advancement of my
favourite sciences, as myself. Nearly 40 yens have elapsed
since I succeeded him ea secretary to the Geological So-
ciety, and so far back as the year 1828 we made our first
joint excursion together among the volcanoes of Auvergne,
the south of France, and north of Italy, and even
then we published together certain memoirs. It
was during that tour that my colleague projected
opal a sound basis of natural history the publi-
cation of those principles of geology which have
justly procured for him so high a reputation in all civilised
countries, and in virtue of which and his other valuable
works our Sovereign has justly deemed him worthy to re-
ceive an additional honour of the crown. Among the topics
he has so dexterously handled this evening, no one has made
• deeper impression on me than the manner in which he
ha. accounted for the origin of the Bath waters. In doing
so he rude use of an expression which my geological friends
who are acquainted with my opinion, that a former greater
intensity of causation existed is geological times than in the
present day, will fully understand how peculiarly grateful to
me it was when I heard my eminent friend speak of the
"great convulsion and fracture which took place on the crust
of the earth at some former period," u connected with that
powerful evolution of hot water to which Bath owes its
celebrity. On this point therefore I rejoice to see that oos
of the very few point. of theory on which we have differed
is almost obliterated, for lam quite ready to abandon all
claim to be anything more than a " worulsionist." There
is only one other topic to which Sir Charles alluded at the
conclusion of his address on which I am anxious to be under-
stood not to pin my faith entirely upon his theoretical
news. Is. telling you that organic remains had been
recently discovered in the oldest knows crystal.
line rocks, and in warning you very properly agsiast
the term " he added that he would not venture on
speculations respecting the "signs of a beginning." Now,
let me my that after many years of labour among my own
Silurian rocks and those which lie beneath them in
Britain and the continent of Europe, I came to the con-
clusion that during vastly long periods in the formation of
the crust of the earth, i.e., in the lower Silurian forma-
tions, all animals (mid their Meal forms are in countless
profusion) belonged to invertebrate life, end that in all
these long periods no fishes with bask-bones swam in the
thee seas. Descending into older rocks, and beneath the
Silurian types of life, the closest researches have only
revealed to us two or three species of • corals' body,
and probably a few seaweeds. The discovery at present
announced from still older rocks pertains to the acme low
order of animals, and the very name of Romeo* Careedaue,
or dawn of Canadian life, really seems tome to point to the
earliest origin of animal life that we are ever likely to ob.
hie. On such points as than discussion leads to the de-
valopmeot of truth, which is, I am sure, the sole object of
my friend and myself ; and quite certain am I that now of
oar discussion, have ever for oes moment weakened our
frieodship, but, on the contrary, have tended to raise our
esteem for each other. On this subject I cannot avoid
reciting an anecdote, well known is the north of England,
but perchance not current in this south-western region. A
former Bishop of Durham, who lived to a great age, assured
the celebrated Dr. Paley that, in all the years of their long
married life, his lordship and his wife had never had a single
disputa. Then replied the plainepokee and honest Paley,
"Then I think, my lord, that your life must have bees
very dull." Now if the occasional disputes on the points
to which I have alluded have enlivened Sir Charles and
myself, and have prevented us, I hope, from being dull.
let me assure this assembly that in all the grand lading
data on which the history of geology is bleed, we are com-
pletely united, and whether it be in recording the
regular succession of formation from the oldest to the
youngest, the progression from lower to higher types of life,
the enormously long periods which must have elapsed is
the formatioo of deposits and their frequent change into
crystalline coedit:jou by that metamorphism which be has
so skilfully expounded ; and, lastly, in the evidences be has
brought together to show that man most have co-existed
with some of the great fossil rrammalia—on all these
subjects I hold the same opieioss aa himself ; and I have
ventured to make this explanatioe, became it amens to
me essential that the public should not run away
with the idea that because geologists occasionally disagree
on points of theory that there exists among them
any divergence of opinion as to the great foundation stones
on which their science has been reared. As one of the
founders of this association, and its senior trustee, I have
now only to add that at no one of our meetings have I
listened to a more philosophic address than that which
has been delivered, and hence I am confident that the
nobility and gentry of the surrounding counties, as well
as the residents and citizens of Bath, will return their
hearty thanks to Sir Charles Lyell, and will feel as proud as
my scieatifie friends around me and myself that we have
sock an eminent president on this ocessios.
The motion was put by the Earl of Coax and carried by
acclamation.

Sir C. LeiLL briefly acknowledgedithe compliment, after
which the mooting Demisted.

THE INTMINATIONAL RITLZ CONTRA?. The
return match between No.l Company of Robin Hood Rifle'
and the Milacy Connelly of Anguslists Volunteers tame
off on Tuesday at the Nottingham butte. It will be re-
membered that the first match took place in September,
18111, when the Robin Hoods won by 7 poiota only. Their
average more on that ocoasiou was 115.50. The shooting on
Tuesday was under great drawbacks, the light being so bad
that glasses had to be used at every range. The storm,
however, ammo ted to 1.182 poiata. being an average of 118.2
per mac. The A ostrabaos shot off in May last, and mails a
total score of 1,062.
A S♦ILOR SHOT ♦T ♦ REGATTA. —At Sheldon
regatta on Monday. a sailor, named Potter, of Budleigh
Sphering, mounted the pier in frost of the signal gun. A
man called Greenslade instantly geed the mason, not chest►-
ing sores in frost of it, though Potter was only a few feet
off at the time. The wadding mitered the unfortunate
man's tight side, fracturing several of his ribs, and inflicting
other internal injuries. Potter was instantly taken to the
Crown and Anchor lon, and the wouod was dreamed by Mr.
Brooks. @argue, sedated by several other medical men. It
wen discovered that the injuries he bad received were of a
fatal character, and his wife was immediately telegraphed
for, in amordattos with his wishes. She arrived during the
*venlig, and did her nun et to comfort him and to alleviate
hi sufferings, which were mast intense. The poor fellow
lingered until about half-past 12 o'clock yesterday, whoa be
expired. The deceased was about 36 years of age, sod leaves
six children, two of whom were present at the time of the
occurrence. Gramelade evinced great emotion on learning
the Patine of the accident. After the ant race the om-
eantime dated from firing the signal gua.—Western Morn-
imp New.
HOINIMAN'S TR♦ is choice and straw, mode-
rate In pram. sad wholesome to ate. These advantages have
tweeted toe thin tea a rennet prep erase. It Medd Is packets by
RlMSgewta.—LAdmortieenmall • •

[TWOPENCE

TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE

(sscrnat's Tneacurs.)
PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, flay. 14.

- •
The %reit:citing of to-day contradicts the state-
ment of the General Correspondenz, that the pro-
jected visit of the Emperor of Austria to Berlin had
been given up, and says there has been no question,
even at Vienna, of such a visit to Berlin.

SWITZERLAND.

BERNE, Sm. 14.

The government of Uri has also protested against
thecompetsuce of the Federal authorities toconclude
a treaty of commerce with France.