The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-21 00:00:00

DEATH OF PROFESSOR E. FORBES.

We are satisfied that no event which has happened fer
some years will excite more surprise, and create a more
profound feeling of grief in the scientific world, than the
demise of Professor Edward Forbes, on Saturday, in the
39th year of his age. When a student in Edinburgh
twenty years ago he gained distinction for his ardent
cultivation of the different branches of Natural History,
and was the centre of a group of young men, all of whom
have since risen to eminence. After visiting Norway,
Sweden, France, Germany, and other continental coun-
tries, in order to extend his knowledge of Natural His-
tory, he gave a course of lectures on his favourite science
in the extra-academical school of this city. Bat hearing
of a scientific expedition about to proceed to Asia
Minor, under the auspices of Government, he was
induced to join it in the capacity of Naturalist.
During his absence the Professorship of Botany
in King's College, London, became vacant, and
his friends applied for it in his name. He was appointed,
and returning a few days afterwards immediately
entered upon the duties of the chair. His vast know-
ledge of natural objects was soon appreciated, and he
became Secretary and Curator to the Geological Society
of London, when he commenced arranging the Museum
of that institution, and thus extended his knowledge of
Fossils and of Palaeontology. Here also he began to
form friendships with all the most distinguished gce
logists and men of science in the metropolis, and of
which rechably no man living could boast of a larger num-
ber. When the Government School of Mines and Designs,
and the Economic Museum in conjunction with it was
founded by Sir E. de la Beeche, Porbes was placed at
the head of the Paleeontological department. To him
the Museum is indebted for the laborious arrangement
and display of the British Fossils, now seen in the mag-
nificent institution in Jerrnyn-street, London ; and
science is no less indebted to him for a series of splen-
didly illustrated Monographs of new species. To
enter, however, at any length upon his numerous
contributions to science, or on a description of his
well-known works on the Star Fishes of Britain, his
British Conchology, and the many papers he published
in the scientific transactions and journals of the
day, is, in this necessarily hurried sketch, obviously
impossible. It is enough to say that when the veteran
Jamieson died last April, Forbes was universally recog-
nised as the only man in Great Britain who was worthy
to succeed him. The writer of this hasty sketch knows
that the Chair of Natural History, in the University of
Edinburgh, was with Forbes the highest object of am-
Lition, and that, had his life been spared, it would
have been dedicated to extending its already great
reputation, so that no school, probably, in tha civil-
ised world would have equalled it in greatness. With
this view he had formed gigantic and most able
plans, which through his great influence with the Go-
vernment would have been liberally supported, and we
have no doubt ultimately carried out. But, arrived at
the culminating point of his ambition, and at the com-
mencement of his long-matured schemes of usefulness he
has, by a mysterious dispensation of Providence, been
removed from us, when we were beginning to appreciate
his worth. A chronic disease contracted when in the
East, re-excited and rendered violent by a severe cold
caught last autumn on a geological excursion, and which
burst out with uncontrollable fury about 10 days ago,
was the immediate cause of his premature death.—
Caledonian Mercury.

Mails for the United States and British North Ame-
rica will be made up in the General Post-office on the
morning of the 22d inst., on the evening of the 28th
inst., on the evening of the Bth proximo, and on every
alternate Friday afterwards, to be sent via Liverpool.
SCOTTISH EXHIBITION Or ARCIITECTURAL ARTS AND
MANUFACTURES.—The Glasgow branch of the Architec-
tural Institute of Scotland have undertaken an exhibi-
tion of arts and manufactures connected with architec-
ture. They have purchased ground, and erected galle-
ries as exhibition rooms, and have converted a house
on the property to serve as a home for the institute. The
council aro desirous of promoting a love of art in that
part of Scotland, and of extending the means of educa-
tion, and of assisting in the foundation of a permanent
pri
museum of architecture, sculpture, painting,
and art
sympathise
with We need not say that we
with them in their efforts, and would gladly aid pinath ose
.
curing contributions of of of art and manufactures.
We understand they have experienced some difficulty in
unaware
obtaining contributions is England, manufacturers espe-
ciallyopene
dapuppeatrointgh
them
o
inbetbe reat manufacturing metro-
of the field thus
this enterprise are desirous Scottish
architects associated in
polis of Scotland. The 14
and the sale of every of jest ofo promoting a knowledge
at home or abroad ; and whilst 4 inviting the contributions
real merit produced either
the exhibition of their Englishand
foreign brethren, they hope that
may be of advantage to them ; and the
ibwitilir do their utmostiitteovpurioacio,te the success of
all who may contribute.--/

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T.HE PRUSSIAN RING AND CINALBARSe

The unequivocal indications of the spirit which
animates the King and Court of Prussia increase
the anxiety with which the friends of national in-
dependence throughout Europ© are looking forward
to the meeting of the Prussian States-General. Our
readers are aware that by an edict recently pro-
mulgated an entirely new constitution has been
given to the First Chamber of the Prussian legis-,
lature. By that edict, in addition to the members
who are to sit in their own right, certain corpora-
tions have been empowered to propose a limited
number of additional members, the power of con-
firming or vetoing these recommendations being
reserved to the Crown. The assemblies of these
corporations, fur the purpose of recommending to
the Crown members for the First Chamber, have
been nearly all held ; in the great majority of
cases Conservatives, more or less prononces, have
been nominated, not a few of whom are mem-
bers of the Representative Chamber. So sensible
are the Junker —or ultra-aristocratic party in
Prussia—of the extent to which this will weaken
them in the Chamber of Representatives, that
they are becoming clamorous to have the meeting
of the Legislature postponed until the vacancies
thus created can be filled up by new elections.
There is no doubt as to the entire sympathy a hich
exists between the Court and this party ; and the
fact that the meeting of the Legislature has been
definitively fixed for the 30th inst. would, there-
fore, seem to indicate that the Court are of opinion
they are likely to lose rather than gain by elec-
tions at the present moment. This is a most
unequiiro:...al confession, on the part of the Court,
of what are the real sentiments of the great body of
the Prussian people with respect to the contest now
waging in the East. The partisans of Russia are
confined almost exclusively to the narrow circles
of those corporations empowered to nominate candi-
dates for admission into the First Chamber. Those
consist of the nobles of the seven provinces ; a few
towns (some of them of very inferior consequence)
which were at one time free-towns of the old Ger-
man Empire or the kingdom of Poland ; and the •
Universities. In the province of Westphalia
there are 365 persons entitled to vote in the
nomination of a candidate for the First Chamber ;
in none of the others does the number amount to
260 ;in one it is only 35. The municipal authori-
ties in the towns, and the professors of the univer-
sities, are all more or less dependent upon Govern-
ment. Even within these fpw and far from
wealthy corporations there is an opposition respect-
able in point of numbers ; and against them are
arrayed the combined intellect and capital of the
whole of the rest of the nation. With such a feeble
support is the infatuated monarch bidding defiance
to the opinion of the nation, and sacrificing its true
interests at the shrine of that brother-in-law of
whom he has made for himself an idol to bow down
and worship.
Still it is extremely doubtful whether the Prus-
sian Chamber of Representatives will have the
courage to assert their constitutional right to re-
monstrate, with the weight and energy which
unanimity bestows, against the suicidal poliCy of
their Government. True, in 1814, the Prussian
people compelled their reluctant monarch to`em-
brace the cause of national independence ; but the
King of that day, though from indecision of cha-
racter and pusillanimity averse to throwing down
the gauntlet to the first Napoleon, cherished a kind
of sneaking desire to do so. His people only com-
pelled him to do what he would have done of his
own accord had he possessed the courage. But
the present King, in resisting the wishes of his
people, is indulging his own inclinaticns. It will
be more difficult to induce to change his policy,
and the Representative Chamber of Prussia—elected
exclusively by a good-natured middle-class in easy
circumstances, and imbued with a great deference
for royalty—is not likely to address its Sovereign
in a peremptory strain. It will at most " hint a
fault, and hesitate dislike" at his conduct, and let
him take his own way. The meinbois will shake
their heads and muttter that he is bringing ruin
on then, all, but they will allow him to bring it.—
Daily Hews.