The Express.
London, England, 1865-09-08 00:00:00

norm; 1.-EODNO.IIIO 80121403 AND •

Ia this media.
Lord Piri.ILIT, M.P., presided, sad at its meeting de.
livered an °pm* address.
After the address which wee received with applause,
papers were reed—" On the Municipal Expesdltam of the
Boremb ot Birmbighein," by Mr. Thomas Avery ;" On
the Vital Statistics of Binsiagbaro,* by Mr. W. L. ass,
gut ; "Oa the Divides of Labour,* by Mr. W. Bridges
Adams; Oa the Practical Advestages of the Metric
System of Weights sad Measure,* by Yr. E. P. Fellows..
Reports cm local Madams were pat in. comprising the-
sinking, button manniestere, jewellery, sad optical and
niathimatical iwarnmsata.

During the preodest's address the andiron 'so su-
mmon,. Amongt them were Lord Lytteltom Sir J.
Bowfin& and Prolesear Fawcett, .P., and Mr. Newsom&
led Dr. Fan vice-presidents of the mottos.

SECTION G-MECHANICAL SCIIICE.

Is this section the president is fir W. Anmentowo,
0.8., PALS., who, in opening the business of the
day, °bedewed that the section was fortunate in
having the annual meeting in Birmineggham, for
in so other town in the kingdom were • end
manufacturing praoessee carried on in greater variety,
sad the members of the section meat profit by
the opportunity afforded them of witnessing the
manifold transeatices of industry, and of discussing amongst
themselves the various objects brought before them. They
also were here of 'resod rendered classic by the labours of
Watt. It was here that he reduced to practice thine me-
chanical cooosptioca which had contributed more than any.
thing else to the progress of the last century. Every relic
of the great mechanician which might be here preerated
would excite areal feelings in their minds ;
111 and more interesting ware his ear.
hest models w • he submitted to iectim at the
soirée In the erasing, The papers to be read it this section
embraced matters of great interest and importance, and
would load to much Ushuaia' disatunion. Nothing could
be more surprising than the recent rapid and still mocekes-
tiag progress of mechanical acienoe, and this was attetbu-
table to the facilities afforded ea these ocioaanes for a more
general and easy interchange of experienes and ideas.
Amoopt the papers he noticed ow by Mr. Robinson, of
Xaocheater, on °Woes Injector," sad he anticipated
that Mr. Robiamos's ezportemoo would 'sable him
to throw additional Debt ea this paradoxical ma-
chine, and if any obscurity remained he hoped it would
be clawed up. The subject of hewing cool by machinery
would be introduced by Ms. Leach. The subject was im-
portant, and it was a successful step io mechanical science
accomplished during the present year. Although this might
tend to deprive some persons of employment, what-
ever tended tot ecosomise human labour in the dark
sod dangerous recesses of the coal mines most
be a benefit to the community, and the labour
might be diverted In its Mammas by the introduction
of machinery, but the aggregate amount of employment
would not suffer. He regretted that there was no paper oe
the improvement In puddling machinery. The paper from
Mr. Bessemer upon steel could not fail to be highly valued
by the section. The *lauding sphere of this useful tun-
nel had attracted special attention to the question of
economy In ire production, and uo one had °attributed more
to that end than Mr. Bessemer. The venous papers that
would be read cm deep sea telegraphic cables would prows
peculiarly acceptable at this time, when we were
in a grand attempt to effect telegraphic communication emceed
tweeu Pomp and America. Where were there more dim.
coarsen& failures in an undertaking, and Dever were failures
encountered with more indomitable courage and persever-
ance. The paper by Mr. Cox on Mr. Sieman's regenerative
tonnes would bring forward • subject the Importance of
which could not be over-estimated. Few persons were
aware of the waste of heat which took place in all
former where it was necessary to communicate • high
degree of heat to any material. The regenerative furnace
arrested a large proportion of the fugitive heat, sod added
it to the gessoes fuel which supported the combustion of
the furnace. Wastefulness was to be deprecated is me-
chanical promises, but considering how much the greatness
of this °Datum depended on the resources of mineral fuel,
and with what prodigality we were drawing upon those re-
sources, any wholesale wastefulness in fuel demanded espe-
cial reprobation, and rendered she introduction of more
'cos.:maul methods of 000sumption smatter of satlosal im.
portion. The regenerative gas furnace also prevented smoke.
Now, smoke could not be altogether prevented in the ease
of ordinary num boiler furnaces, but he knew of so mesas
yet retrainee& by which Its preveation could be effected in
manufacturing furnaces heated by coal If gas were sub.
saluted for coal, and the regenerative pttowple applied, the
nuisance and disfigurement occasioned be smoke could be
entirely avoided. But the introduction of pa furnaces cm
so large • scale must be a work of time, and the system
itself would probably require improvement and developeneet
to reader it widely available. He might have exteoded
his observations to the subjects of the other papers to be
read, all of which would possess considerable interest, but
be felt that little would be gained by such an extension of
his comments, and that it would be better for the section at
ogee to proceed to their proper business.
The business was then proceeded with, and a paper ea
chain.proving was read by the President ; by Mr. E. A.
Cowper out a sew canoe gis for separating the film from
the seed, sod by Mr. R. W. Thomas on • "Rotary Status
Engine" But the greatest interest appeared to be raised
by • di/strati= by Mr. Thomas Lev' & " Oa machinery
for compressing air and the applicability of sorb compressed
air for working coal-cutting and other underground ma.
Misery," which was fully diamond. Another paper of in.
terest was one by Mr. Nathaniel Holmes on " District
Private Telegraphs," advocating • system, as it were, of
bringing the telegraph to every man's door.
The number of visitors and members of the usociation Is
very considerable, and the sections were well attended
during the day.

(711011 • COI

BIMINGHAM, Tat, lISDAT.

The address of the new President is naturally the
great topic of conversation, and the doctors differ,
as was to be expected, in their opinions as to its
merits. In general, I hear it spoken of with respect
as an excellent survey of tho march of science under
the banner of the British Association for the last
thirty years and more. No one calls it a profound
exposition of the aims and purposes of science, or
points out any new views or any remarkable light
thrown upon the regions yet to be explored ; but
every one speaks of the comprehensive knowledge
of the field which the association has occupied as
its working ground. Few men were better qualified
than Mr. Phillips, by his long services as secretary,
to take this review, and the honour of the presidency
was one as well deserved as it was unani-
mously and heartily voted by the Council.
No member of the Society can havo had
a much more arduous duty to perform, and,
as Sir Roderick Murchison said, in proposing the
vote of thanks for the address, he succeeded in
filling the 1-..ffice of secretary for so many years with.
out making a single enemy. As the votaries of
science are not always the most even-tempered and
tolerant of mankind, this was saying a great deal.
Sir Roderick, however, who evidently rather prides
himself upon binge great favourite with the ladies,
narrowly escaped getting into a ram when, in
proposing the vote of thanks, by way of enforcing
the President's simile of the founders standing
" anxious but hopeful by the cradle of the Associa.
than," Le began to remind us all that we were the
memo wbo had taboo ears of the child. This was •