The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-27 00:00:00

sociarr OF ARTS.

MARCH 26.—1. K. BiwxEL, Eeg., F.A.S., in tbe
*hair. Mesas. J L. Aubert, W. Co per, J. B. Cootte, J.
Faulkner, jun., W. H Jarmo*, W. Mambas; B. V.
Tusai, and J. Witter, jun., were elected naemben
The paper read was, "On the Manufacture of Soap," by
Mr. W. Hawn. The author commenced by showing how
this manufavare bad been cbecked—how every attempt
at its improvemeat had bees thwarted—bow de cut of

the soap produced bad been lacreaed—ond bow, in fact, ,
by the odious itterfar, nee of the excise, a chemical process
had remaioed with tc net ly an improvement for the last
200 years. Before describing the, manof icture, Mr. Howes i
WWII noticed the little known of the history of seep
making. Soft soap, he said, appeared to have bees is
resent we from tans immemorial. Of hard soap
nothing was beard from its introducttoa into di is
seantry, early in the sixteenth century, ant.' 1622.
He than spoke of the ineoryoration of the governor,
amistants, and lei!ows of the Society of Sospenakere of West
muster in 1632, sad showed how a monopoly attempted to
be seated in their favour completely failed, the persecutions
of assay ant /onset, eospatakers notwithataumag, as the
public woald not bay their Epode. This brorght him to the
year 1646, when the tospatakers petitioned the Reese of
Commeag to levy a tee apoa the raw matt nail instead of oa
the inantabotared article; bat is ben or this, in 16.50 a duty
was placed aroa the former, whilst the latter was retained.
He than detailed the I ewes of duty to which loop
bad been subject up to 1816, when it was increased to 3d.
per lb. or 286 per ton; but in 1833, it having been proved
to the Chancel:or of the Eschoquer that illicit trade was in-
oressisg, sad the duty thereby decreasing, the duty was
reduced to ltd. per lb., at which rota it removed
lath It was haally abolised in 1862. The acts smp of
tionemeree, he said, was a simple waters of oil, vegetable
and salsa, sad a gives qesouty of tallow, with • lay of
meek potash. 240 more alkali was used than was required
to farm the soap, w •icb, being added to the oil and tallow
Is • ley of light spe eific gravity, was gradually coacettrated
till the soap seamed tla required ceashitency, whoa it wss
taken from the copper and rue into barrels for sale. Tt is
was the cheapest load of soap, and when at mould be advan-
tageously used, as in washing wool or oldb, was the most
ethaeskal. Ite math and its woe:id eau prevent its /mineral
aster It Aseheld parpome. Hard soap be described as beteg
made hem any actual or vegetable fat or oil ; the whits
and inetelel soaps of commeres being distinguished
from parse soap by the obsess of reels; In other
roegseles theallt the woes of flaistaieg differed, they were
ahlis 1M proses was as fellows:—A, slut on of seamy
eitheffe soda was added to the fatty matter. Them were
belled Ingather jot saticieatly so allow gradual combine
ties of the alkali with the gnaw, when the ewes ,I lay
was wanted from the imperfect soap, and was as off into
nommers Whew ; another pontos of alitaie was tees added,
Ile Wire was eettibeed, till the soap was chaotically per-
fect though sot haished C easaarcially ; and here begs& the
roams by when the special character was given to the
diflersat description. of soap. Mottled soap was boiled into
• seed an • snag • teatime ley, sad a few hour. alter the
bodies bed seed was taken direct from the copper to the
brine sr mould, whore the elarityisg moons to .k place;
wheeeeld It earnest opiate bars weeks. f reale. Yellow soap
an the ether heed was clerifix as the c pper, whilst white
or east soap before beteg p t Into the trams to co.,' re
quieted frequent ematehiag or sorrow about in ea interne
ebb snail, to Creek and MIS the cord, so th..t when soot it
shoal be sailors sled homogenises, and no clarifying pro
pm mm necessary, owing to the best material, only being
Seed he this eo.p. Mr. Hawes eget directed stteatioo to
V* Simlarials need In the manufacture of soap. Speak's,
goilleitstliw, he minded to the great cheers which lesbian
tassel by the importehos of palm oil, by selieh sad by the
gradually exteadiso as. of gas is private dwelliarbousee
we were Is this particular sew nearly independent
of Ramis. The other raw material was alkali soda
for lard s. ap, and potash for soft soap; sad bore
again he drew imitation t, the effect of the repeal of an
miss deny upon price sod quality. After spxking of the
"stoat laws g 'ly, which he considered were alike in-
juries, to both patentees and the public, be pr .ceeded to
:a
that
the eel, patent relating to the maastacture of soap
appears. likely to succeed practically was that for
ellernigning the materials by saeehaaical mesas without the
am d ths ke, see °tied being to avoid the formation of
It was in this direction, either to p I the
Yes of giyeerthe, sad thus to Xmas the product of
MO ties • give. quantity o f it low, c r to save sad apply
10 Intel purposes what •as sow wasted, that he imputed
to en the flr t fruits of the relief of this towboat
team& el iadestry from the trammels of the elOtee.
After the reading of the paper a discassloa tick pl es, is
which Megan. Warren Do le Rue, F.R.S. G. F. Wilms,
F.R.S., Degald Campbell, F.C.S., Robert Low, the Earl-of
Wgiseset owl the Chafraeae, with Mr. r: awes, j used. The
linallee *Mg Of eapoeffiestos was diseased from by
oreord epookon, sod also his views as to the isesp-dweel
of poems; but Is this latter respect be was supported by
the chairman, who lode that tension themselves, ea •
body, are not beaellted to the extent to wheel they are in
jutted by the delusive hopes engendered by the patent law.
• veto of thanks to Mr. Hawes excluded the proceedings.

F.rrvisivs Romany or Norms.—Yentorday in-
formation was sere vest at Bow-street Patronise that
lleabore Stullaa., Req.. a eolvehor of Boom, whilst tra-
velling es t►e Orem let Mere Railway. was rattled of a
mall red limes east@ bar, eoctelaiop thee 1001. Bank of Bsg•
load Rotes, tweatf•sia 101. some cf the Stamford. Spaidias,
and &atm Bash, a fif note of the same has►, tore half-
er)wite, a @hillier, a sixpeate, and four Mtfpeaee• TM
tyh►er, le @opposed to hive takes plate is Bet no or Peter-
botoegb, or at an Greet Northers termisse, Kisg-tr es
Lovidoo.