The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-22 00:00:00

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE
:ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

NEWCASTLE-UPON-tjTX,. Atre. 18.—The first meeting of
the General Committee, which diwnys precedes the scientific
business of the association, was held this afternoon at the
County Court. in the Hoot-hall, Professor Nilhcwsille Vice-
President in the chair. The attendance of members was
large, ard amongst these present were the Marquis of North-
ampton, the Bishop of Durham, Lord Cole, ill. P., Sirs J.
Hertchcll, C. Lemon, and J. Robinson, Professors Babbage,
Boerne;., and Wheatstone, Colonels Sykes, and Briggs, &e.
The r port, of the General Council, which was read by the
Secretary, the Rev. J. Yates, was very satisfactory. It an-
nounced that another addition had been made to the funded
property, leaving the present value of stock in the Three per
Consols 5,5001. The question of international copyright, first
advocated by the association, had now been taken up by the
Government, and from the measures which they had adopted
it was hoped a good effect would result. The associatiukhad
10 t two corresponding members, one of whom, ProfessorVll,
was well known to the scientific world, add in
thcie jliseti= ti.Py h,,;:.1 elected Professor Licbig, and M. Du-
mas, of Paris. :Virg v01un,,2,9 on the tides, to which so much
of the attention of the ds'_••iatiol, .114 d been directed were to
lie disposed of, an undertaking in tAieb t::9 Royal Society had
engaged, Aci application had been made to MO Council to
attempt to procure from Government the removal of taxes upon
public buildings devoted to science and the fine arts, but th.7'
had declined to comply with it.
Prokssor PHILLIPS, the Assistant-Secretary, next read the
programme of the several places and objects of the meeting.
The Committee would adjourn to Thursday, when it would
decide upon the place at which the next meeting of the
Association should be held. The model-room would be open
to inerribz.'rs daily from eight till five, and a person would be in
constant attendance for the purpose of giving a proper de-
scription of On Tuesday evening it was intended to
hold a meeting there, when descriptions of the various objects
would bo given by several members: and on Thursday even-
ing a meeting would be hetA At which the Presidents of the
different sections would read an abstract of the most important
subjects that had been brought befor,!! them. M a meeting
on Saturday, also, a further abstract of ti:e proceedings would
be read, and the reports of the money awards delivered.
Mr. Meacntsom, the General Secretary, apolog .Eed for the
very meagre list of members of the different Committees,
which was owing to so many of the leading members o.ot
having yet arrived. The Council had considered it advisable
that the list should be changed every year, and that the names
should be selected as much as possible from persons in the I
neighbourhood.
The following list of the officers of sections, recommended
by the Council, was approved of by the meeting, to whom
they were severally put.
Section A.—Mathematics and Physics.—President, Sir
John Herschel( ; Vice-Presidents, Sir David Brewster, Sir
W. Hamikon, Dr. Robinson, and Mr. F. Bailey; Secret cries,
Major Sabine, Rev. Professor Chevalier, and Professor
M'Culloch.
Section B.—Chemistry r.nd Mineralogy.—President, Rev.
W. Whewell ; Vice- Presidents, Dr. 'F. Thompson, and Dr.
Daubeny ; Secretaries, Dr. Miller, Dr. Apjohn, and Mr.
Richardson, of Newcastle.
Section C.—Geology and Geography.—President, Pro-
fessor Lyell for Geology, and Lord Prudhoe for Geography;
Vice-President Dr. Buckland; Secretaries, Mr. Trevelyan,
Major Portlock, and Captain Washington.
Section D.—Zoology and Botany.—President, Sir Wil-
liam Jardine; Vice-Presidents, Dr. Greville, the Rev. L.
Jenyne, and the Rev. F. W. Hope; Secretaries, Mr. G. E.
Gray, F. R. S., Professor Owen, and Dr. Richardson.
Section E.—Medical Science.— President, the Mayor of
Newcastle ; Vice-Presidents, Dr. Cla-k, Mr. J. Fife, and
Dr. Yellowly ; Secretaries, Mr. Greenhow, and Dr. Vose.
Section F. —Statistics. —President, Col. Sykes, F. R. S. ;
Vice-Presidents, Sir C. Lemon, Messrs. C. R. Porter, and
C. W. Bigge ; Secretaries, Messrs. Heywood, Wood, and
J. A, Turner.
Section G.—Mechanics.—President, Mr. Babbage ; Vice.
Presidents, Sir J. Robinson, Messrs. B. Donkiu and G. Ste.
vcnson ; Secretaries, Messrs. G. C. Vignolles, J. Webster,
and R. Hawthorn.
The Rev. Mr. YATES next brought forward the proposi.
tion of the Council with respect to the future constitution of
the general Committee. After some discussion, the follow-

in.- regulations were agreed to, by which the members were
to be arranged in five classes. It was then resolved that in
future the Committee should consist of the following :
" 1. The Presidents and officers of the association, past and
present, and the authors of reports published in the transactions
of the association.

"2. Members who have communicated any paper to a phi-
losophical society, which has been published in its transactions,
and which relate to such subjects as come before notice in the
sectional meetings of the association, the Council having the
power in all csses of doubt to interpret this rule.
" 3. Office-bearers for the time being, or delegates, not ex-
ceeding three in all, from any philosophical society publishing
its transactions.

" 4. Office-bearers for the time being, or delegates, not
exceeding three, from philosophical institutions established in
the place of meeting, or where the association has formerly
met.

" 5. Foreigners and other individuals whose assistance is
desired, or who are specially nominated in writing, for the
year, by the secretaries."

On the motion of Mr. 11Eyw000, it was also resolved, that
the Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Secretaries of the differ-
ent sections should be ex officio members of the Committee
for the tio:e being.
A Committee of recommendation was next appointed for
the purpose of taking into consideration various proposals
made through the Presidents of the sections for grants of
money for scientific purposes. The first meeting was fixed
for Tuesday.
Before the Committee sepirated. Sir J. ROBINSON ex-
pressed a hope that some rule would be passed to repress the
very extravagant expenditure for the reception of the associa-
tion, which had now attained such a pitch that it could not
perhaps be exceeded. The liberal example set by the inhabi-
tants of Newcastle would, he feared, deter many other towns
having less resources at command from giving an invitation to
to the association, if some limit were not placed upon the ex-

penditure.
Professor PHILLIPS explained, that the principal part of
this expense had been incurred in building- and finishing rooms
for the meetings, with which the town was not previously
provided. It might, however, afford an useful hint for the as-
sociation to select in future only such towns as were already
provided with the requisite accommodation.
It was announced that during the week the following places
And objects would be open to members on the presentation of

their tickets :
General News Rooms.—Exchange, Sandhill, and Assem-
bly ROOMS, Westgate.

Institutions.—Literary, Philosophical, and Natural History
Societies ; Antiquarian Society, where the librarian will at-
tend to explain the collection of Roman antiquities; St.
: Nicholas Church and Thomlinson's library. The room of the
, •

Literary, Scientific, and -Mechanical Institution. The exhi-
bition room of the Northern Academy for the promotion of
the Pine Arts, exhibitions, models, and specimens of natural
history.

All the lanneipal establishmcnts of the town and neighbaur-
hood.

Geological excursions.—To Tynemoutb, Cullercoats, and
Whitley on Friday, the 25th. Apply to the Committee of
the Geological section. Basaltic Dike at Coaley7hill and
Dewly Burn, four miles north-west of Newcastle. Basaltic
Dike in Walbottle Dean, five miles west of Newcastle. The
lead-mines of Mr. T. W. Beaumont, of Allenheads. The
Directors of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway will convey
parties to the nearest point of the mines, and bring them back
free of expense.
Collieries.—Various colleries may be visited by application
to the owners and managers, through the Geological section.
Railways —The Carlisle and North Shields ; the Durham
Junction Railway and bridge over the river Wear, near Lamb-
ton, to the opening of which an excursion will be made on
Friday, the 28th, through the Committee of the Mechanical
section.

NEWCASTI.E• uroN-TysE, AUG. 20.—,The Most extraordi-
nary improvements have for some time been going on in this
town, perhaps, for the short space of time, unprecedented in
any provincial one. In the centre of the town, and surrounded
with buildings, was, until the last few years, a large unculti-
vated portion of ground, but which, by the death of the
original proprietor, reverting. into the more active hands of his
legatees, became the area of the most remarkable enterprtse.
Or, it now stand streets of houses that will vie with any in
the metropolis ; markets second to none in Great Britain ;
a theatre, music-hall, picture-gallery, exchange, and the
not less prominent object of the column to Lord Grey,
to commemorate the passing of the Reform Bill. On this
spot the majority of the meetings of the association are to be
held, and for the last fortnight no less than 2,000 men have
been engaged, and the last week incessantly, night and day, in
order to make the necessary preparations and clear the streets.
This singular metamorphose was completed on Saturday night,
and yesterday there was scarcely a vestige remaining of the
operations which the day before were most extensively carried
on, everything being provided for the adequate accommodation
of the meeting. The town is now very full, the number of mem-
bers who had registered at the Town-hall on Saturday evening
at ten o'clock, being one thousand seven hundred and thirty-
four. Every steam-packet from London, Leith, and Hull has,
within the last two days brought a great influx; and the Ocean
steam-vessel, which had been specially placed on the
London station, arrived on Saturday afternoon with upwards of
120 passengers. The arrivals yesterday were also vas nu-
merous, and for the information and facilitating the accommo-
dation of strangers, the inquiry-rocm was open till half-past
ten in the morning, and in the afternoon from half-past lour.
The Duke of N irthumberland arrived in town on Saturday af-
ternoon from Alnwiek Castle, on his way to Lord Ravens-
worth's seat at Itavensworth Castle, in Durham, about three
miles distance, from whence he will return this day to take
the chair in the evening at the first General Meeting at the
Central Exchange. The Duchess will also accompany him
here, as her Grace has expressed her intention to be pre-
sent at a bazaar for the benefit of the St. John's National
Schools, Which will be held on Tuesday and the two following
days at the Music-hall.

AN AGED LOAF or BREAD.—The antiquary
may be gratified with the sight of a loaf of bread upwards of
seven hundred years old. It was included in a grant of the
Crown in the reign of King John, and has remained with the
writings of the estate in the Soars' family, of Ambaston, in
Derbyshire, ever since. Our Kegworth correspondent says
he has seen and handled it at intervals during the last 50 years,
and finds no alteration except what may have arisen from the
pilfering of a few crumbs by the curious.—Notts Review.