The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-02 00:00:00

French Academy of Sciences.

At the last Bitting a paper was received from M.
Riondet, commander of the Sainte-Barbe gunboat,
on certain carious researches made by him in a lib-
rary at Vera Cruz, on longevity in those parts. Our
readers will be surprised to hear that from the census
taken in 1831, the latest on record it would seem, it
appeared that notwithstanding the notorious un-
healthiness of the climate of Vera Cruz, there were
in that year eleven persons in the district, upwards
of 100 years old. Dr. Binet sent in a paper on
phthisiophoby, that is, fear of consumption, which
he considers to be a disorder by itself. It may be
so, no doubt, but would it not perhaps be nearer
the truth to classify it as a mere offshoot of spleen,
or melancholy ? A report was read by M. de
Tessan on the writings of M. Tr6maux, an archi-
tect by profession, but still better known as one of
the most indefatigable travellers of the present
time. M. C. Sainte-Glaire Deville read a paper
on the limits of perpetual snow. Humboldt had as-
sumed that the altitude of those limits was deter-
mined by that point where the thermometer never
rose above freezing point ; but M. Durocher after-
wards expressed some doubts as to the perfect sound-
ness of this principle, and M. Renou has since
modified it as follows :—The line of demarkation of
perpetual snow is at that altitude where the mean
temperature is freezing point during the six warmest
months of the year.—Dr. Jobert de Lamballe read
a report on a highly important paper from Dr.
Philippeau on deafness. The author describes some
new experiments on the perforation of the drum er
tympan of the year. In order to ascertain whether
a patient labouring under deafness can hope to re-
cover his hearing or not, Dr. Philippeau applies a
common watch to the temples, and if he hears the
ticking his cure may be considered certain.

MR. GROTE, THE HISTORIAN, has been elected
Foreign Associate of the French Academy, in the place of
the late Lord Macaulay.

An event took place in Lambeth yesterday which will
form an interesting epoch in the annals of the industrious
classes of that locality, being no less than the opening of the
National Baths in the Westminster-road as the South Lon-
don Working Classes Industrial Exhibition, for the exhibi-
tion of the handicraft of the working men of Lambeth. The
idea of such an exhibition was started some few months
since by Mr. G. Murphy, the well-known temperance lec-
turer, and has been successfully carried out by him, in con-,
junction with the Mission Society and others. From the
success which has attended this attempt, which was looked
upon in the light of an experiment, it will no doubt be the
forerunner of many similar exhiLitions, though probably on
a much larger scale, not only in Lambeth, but in other
London localities, and in many of the larger provincial
towns. lhe committee of management, nearly all working
men, who have laboured gratuitously, strictly confined the
exhibitors to being bona fide working men, obtaining their
living by daily labour—and so well seconded has been the
efforts of the committee by the working men of the locality
that there are 231 exhibitors, comprising men of all
trades--masons, shoemakers, gardeners, painters, carpen-
ters, engineers, printers, labourers, porters, and even chim-
ney sweeps. The articles exhibited are of great variety,
and upwards of 500 in number, and are principally the pro-
ductions of the owners in the hours after their daily toil
has terminated—many of them are moat skilfully con-
structed, and display considerable ingenuity. Some of the
working models of machinery are beautifully finished ; and
when it is considered that they were made in the workman's
own home, with the limited means at his command, and
deprived of most of those applitsac,es belonging to a large
workshop, the result is really highly creditable to ths
industry, skill, and intelligence of the workmen. There
are, indeed, many articles exhibited that would have
attracted notice even at the treat Exhibition. Amongst
some of the principal articles exhibited are a model of
Windsor Castle and the royal train approaching, a steam
printing press, a steam engine and threshing machine, a
suspension bridge, a model of Yeovil Church with a com-
plete peel of bells, &c.—all the productions of John Perry,
an ironfounder, in his own house. These models are all set
in motion by a halfpenny being dropped into a box attached
to each. There are also five cases of stuffed birds, executed
with the utmost fidelity to nature, the production of John
Hankins, a druggist's porter, Two miniature models in the
shape of pillars—one to Wellington, 2ft high, and the other
to Napoleon, lift high—the work of Isaac Thomas, a mason,
attracted a large share of attention from the visitors. The
Wellington pillar contains 600 pieces of stone, and the
Napoleon pillar 550 pieces, all beautifully polished, and so
put together as to present to the naked eye, but one solid
mass of stone. In the Fins Arts department are some well
executed large paintings on historical and religious subjects,
by Charles Machers, a carpenter; several paintings, exe-
cuted with a common halpenny paint brush, are marvel-
looly well done, by Thomas Nash, a porter ; and three
plaster models, by John Levy, a hairdresser, the subjects
being "Moses breaking tae tablets," " Eve," and a " Child
with grapes"— the two latter being original designs. In
short, nearly every article exhibited is worthy of commen-
dation, while many are of a high order of merit. Another
noticeable fact is, that is the majority of cases the articles
made by the exhibition are not those in any way connected
with his trade ; thus a blacksmith exhibits a model of an
aquarium, a carpenter paintings, a musical instrument by
an engineer, and so en. Among the articles lent for exhi-
bition is an elaborate wood carving, containing 4,000 figures
and heads, representing the history of the human race,
executed by a Greek monk of Mount Athos, and now the
property of Mr. Gladstone, the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, by whom it has been kindly lent to the committee.
The opening ceremony took place at 3 o'clock, at which
hour the Earl of Shaftesbury took the chair, supported by
Sir M. Peto, M.P., Mr. John Bright, M.P., Mr. Warner,
M.P., Mr. J. I. Briscoe, M.P., Mr. S. Morley, the Rev.
Newman Hall, and a :arge number of the parochial clergy,
vestrymen, and leading inhabitants of Lambeth. The large
area cf the hall was cccupied by from 700 to 800 working
men and their families, admitted by Is. tickets.
The proceedings were commenced by singing a version of
the National Anthem written by the Rev. Newman Hall
and given out by the Rev. Mr. Robinson, after which the
Ray. S. Eardley read the 111th Psalm, and the Rev. New-
man Hall offered up a short prayer. Mr. Murphy, as sec-
retary to the committee of management, then gave a short
and interesting account of the origin of the exhibition which
the meeting now saw before them. Ho also read a letter
from the Chancellor of the Exchequer regretting his in-
abilited, from pressure of business to attend the mee:ing as
he had promised. -r
Sir MORTON PETO, M.P., addressed the meeting, and
expressed the pleasure he felt at witnessing the scene before
him. He had for many years been connected with Lambeth
as a large employer of labour. He felt bound to congratu-
late the working mon in the locality on the rapid progress
they were making in elevating themselves in the social
scale. On behalf of the firm he represented ho begged to
present the committee with a donation of £5O towards fur-
thering the movement they were met that day to celebrate.

(Cheers.)
Mr. JOIEN BRIGHT, M.P., next addressed the meeting.
He congratulated the working men of Lambeth on the suc-
cessful manner in whieh they had carried out this exhibition,
and trusted it would be the precursor of still more ex-
tended efforts. Working men were too low in the social
scale;
they might do much to raise themselves by tempe-
rate and provident habits, and it was the duty of the Go-
vernment to lend them a hand by clearing away all obstacles
from their path. He dwelt on the necessity of a closer
connection and co-operation between the different classes of
society, and contended it was the duty of all men who de-
sired to elevate the masses of the people to help to bridge
over the gult which now so widely separated them from

_
their richer brethren. (Cheers.)
Mr. Warner, M.P., Mr. S. Morley, the Revs. R. Robin-
son. S. Eardley, and Newman Hall, having severally ad-
dresse I the meeting in the same spirit,
The CHAIRMAN addressed the meeting at some length.

He said, when he entered the building that day he was
both astonished and delighted to see the large number of
articles ranged around, many of them displaying high
mechanical skill and artistic taste, and all the production:of
his humbler fellow-countrymen. He felt proud of them,
and it was only another proof of the rapid strides making
by the working man in social progress and self-respect.
Let any one contrast the working man of 1864 with the
working man of 20 years back, and he would at once
acknowledge the great improvement that had taken place.
There was ample room, however, for further improvement,
and such a movement as that at which ho was now
assisting wes a great step in the right direction. The noble
chairman then dwelt long and eloquently upon the duties
working men owed to themselves, their families, and
power that could be conferred upon them would benefit
them society,
uannl
unless
s tconcluded
hey by saying that no amount of political
were
determined at the same time
socially to reform themselves, (Cheers.) He then declared
the exhibition to be opened, amidst considerable cheering.
The visitors then circulated through the spacious build-
ing inspecting the various articles, until six o'clock, when
the doors were opened to the, general public, and the
building became crowded. The charge for admission is

fixed at low term of 2d. each person, and the exhibition
will remain open until Saturday, March 12, inclusive. It
will doubtless attraot a large number of visitors, no less
from its novelty than from its ingenious, useful, and orna-
mental contents, so highly creditable to the working men
of South London.

SIGNOR SIYORI, who is now playing in Paris
with his usual success, is announced to be coining to Eng-
land on the Bth April. HERR JOACHIM is to be hero on
the 21st May. M. Visurrnmrs will play only twice more
at the Popular Concerts.
SCHOOLS OF DESIGN.--" The collection of watches
shown byMr. Benson is a largo, and at the same time an in-
teresting one, and considerable attention has been paid by
the exhibitor to the decoration of the cases. Many of them
and were the results of
parreizeexstorffemereeldy gabeylemrntßiennstohne
tdoesthigeh,
pupils of the South Ken-
sington Schools of Design."—Morning Post, Sept. 29, 1662.
Chronometer, duplex, lever, horizontal, repeaters, centre
seconds, keyless, split seconds, and every description of
watch, adapted to all climates. Benson's illustrated pam-
phlet on watches, free by post for two stamps, contains a
short history of watchmaking, With
prices, from 3 to 200
guineas each. It acts as a guide in the purchase of a watch,
and enables those who live in any part of the world to select
a watch, and have it sent safe by post. Prize medal and
honourable mention, classes 33 and 15. J. W. Benson, 33 and
34, Ludgate-hill, London. Established 1749. Watch and
clock maker, by special warrant of appointment, to ILEX.
the Prince of Wales.

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pulmonary consumption, with fearful cough, expectoration,
exlatustion, spitting of blood, perspirations, hollow cheeks.
emaciated to a skeleton. She is now, thank God, a perfectly
healthy, blooming, fleshy girl,—N. Lange, Commissaire de
Police. Cure, No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Frimleyl
Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver
derangement, and partial deafness.—Cure, No. 47,121. Miss
Elizabeth Jacobs, of' extreme nervousness, indigestion,
gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure, No.
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of indigestion and torpidity of the liver, which had resisted
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11s; 121 b, 225; 241 b, 40s. Barry du Barry and Co., No. 77,
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