The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-22 00:00:00

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others ; in those of science the student Inuit work hard tot
his intellectual fare. He cannot throw up his oars
And let his little bark attendant sail,
Pursue the triumph and partake the gale,
but he must tug at the oar himself, and take his full share
in the labour by which his progress is to be made. The
noble lord, after welcoming the British Association for the
Promotion of Science to the halls of Liverpool, resumed
his seat.
The noble president, on resuming his seat, was loudly-
applauded.
The Earl of DERBY said,—Ladies and gentlemen—for I
doubt not that I am about to address upon this occasion
many scientific ladies as wellas many scientific gentlemen;
but I hope, for the purpose of obtaining a sympathising
audience, that I shall, in the few words I am about to
offer to you, have the satisfaction of addressing many of
both sexes, who, like myself, have no pretensions to scienoe.
(Laughter.) My noble friend, in the commencement-of his
address to you this evening, has said that he had departed
from his ordinary custom, which was, not to consider well
beforehand what he was about to say, but that he had felt,
upon this occasion, that it was necessary to deviate froin that
practice, and to put down in writing the observations he in-
tended to make to you. My practice on ordinary occasions
is similar to that of my noble friend, but if I had desired it
I certainly have had no opportunity of deviating from that
practice on the present occasion, inasmuch as, having
availed myself of the hospitality of the Mayor, I found,
for the first time, on entering this room, that I was ex-
pected on such an occasion as this to address an assembly
such as that I see before me. The few words, therefore, that
I shall now address to you are the fruits of no premedita-
tion, but are the spontaneous expression of the feelings
But never was any one called upon to obligationee
fulfil
an
iNttv h‘vi chhi
which
h stronglyhis
privateeu te
feelingsr t a a t tahnedpsreens es ne torf duty and inclina-
tion
so perfectly and entirely concurred, as in my case on
the present occasion, when called upon to propose to you a
vote of thanks to the new president of the British
Association. (Cheers.) Ladies and gentlemen,—l have had
the happiness of knowing my noble friend from a very
early (period of life ; I was his contemporary at college.
where I formed an intimacy which I am satisfied will
never terminate but with our lives ; I was there witness
of his honourable exertions in the field which leads to aca-
demical distinction; and I was witness to the proud snecese
which attended those exertions. My noble friend mr-
haps have forgotten the circumstance himself ; but Ipe
re-
member well that among those who enjoyed his friendship
antdhoant:
as knowing
he then his
s, o iolintfee
for
and intimacy, it was a matter of observation not unmixed
with some friendly alarm
s
going up for honours,
abstained from withdrawing himself from society that they
entertained great apprehensions of his taking matters too
easily to enable him to obtain the success to which he was
winatenot
looking forward. Those anticipations and alarms were dis-
sipated. My noble friend applied himself steadily, but
not exclusively, to the prosecution of his studies, without.
to use a technical word, cramming" for a few months ,
and he obtained that result which is always sure to be ob:
tamed by perseverance, coupled with the talent of my
noble friend—he obtained double first class at the univer-
sity. (Applause.) My noble friend's subsequent career
you know far better than I do—at least, you know it as
well, and you have been more intimately connected with
him. Here he meets you as an old acquaintance, as an old
friend, with whom, and for whom, he has fought many
battles. (Cheers.) You have been witness to his assiduous
devotion to public business ; you have been aware of the
attention he has always given to the practical concerns
which interested you. Those who have known the assi-
duity and attention and devotion which he has brought to
bear on his public services will not doubt that upon the
new career he has this day entered, he will distinguish him-
self, and do honour to the association of which he has this
day become the president. You will feel, also, that it is a
proud day for Liverpool which witnesses, not only the open-
ing of the magnificent hall which has been inaugurated
this week, but which witnesses the assemblage here of the
British Association for the Advancement of Science ; and
which witnesses, also, the inauguration of the association
under the presidency of my noble friend, long the honoured
member, and who, I am sure, will continue to be the
honoured friend of the town and neighbourhood of Liver-
pool. (Cheers.) Gentlemen—l beg pardon, ladies and
gentlemen—(a laugh)--of the merits of mynoble friend's ad-
dress there are few persons in this town less competent to
judge than myself. (A laugh.) I, unfortunately, belong
to the earlier period in which science was cultivated as a
branch of education ; and in scientific matters I must con-
fess myself entirely ignorant.
The Earl of HARROWBY—You belong, then, to the pre.
scientific school. (A laugh.)
The Earl of DERBY—As my noble friend says, we talk
about the pro-Adamite, varied with the pre-Raphaelite—
the time I belong to is the pre-scientific period of educa-
tion. (Loud laughter.) And, gentlemen—ladies and gentle-
men—if lam aware of my own deficiencies, lam not the
less sensible to the value of that of which we had not the
advantage in earlier days. I rejoice with all here to see
throughout the length and breadth of this land, and more
especially in this great commercial town and neighbour-
hood, science taking its place by the side of industrial oc-
cupation, elevating, encouraging, supporting, and giving
strength to the industrial pursuits of the people. (Cheers.)
There is one point, however, in which my noble friend did
injustice to the philosophers and scientific men I seearound
him. He said—Plsilosophia laud atur d (1,1.9 d—" Philo-
sophy is praised and starves" ; that scientific men miss the
luxuries of life; that they have no reward, except what
the exercise of philosophy brings ; that the luxuries of
life are the last things which a scientific man can desire.
(A. laugh.) I don't agree with myinoble friend. (Great
latighter.) I have recently had the satisfaction of meeting
many very scientific men at the hospitable table of our
worthy mayor, and without the slightest wish to detract
from their devotion to the cause of science, I venture to
say that they are not altogether indifferent to the good
things of this world. (Increased laughter.) Long may they
enjoy them all ; long may the town of Liverpool have the
means of extending the hospitality which it offers at pre-
sent to all comers ; and long may it be honoured with such
worthy visitors as the members of the British Association.
(Cheers.) Ladies and gentlemen, I don't pretend, as I said
before, to judge of the merits of my noble friend's speech;
but I must be permitted to say a single word, not in refer-
ence to the various topics upon which my noble friend has.
touched—topics of the utmost importance, and topics ex-
tending over a range of science of the most' varied and ex-
tensive character—but merely upon one point as to the
practical bearing of the association which has now hon-
oured our town by a visit, as it is honoured by the recep-
tion it has met with here. My noble friend, in the earlier
portion of his address, spoke about having a multitude of
faots, but that he wanted a theory to support them. I
apprehend the opposite is the more ordinary course—that
gentlemen find a =altitude of theories, but that they have
a difficulty in finding facts to support them. (Laughter.)
I only hope that in the course of the observations offered
this evening my noble friend has started some very hetero-
dox opinions, which will furnish matter for an extensive,
though not angry controversy; because in matters of science
more than anything else there should be no feelings of
auger.

" Tantame animis coelestibus ins?" •
and depend upon it that, in matters of science, the greater
amount of controversy the surer do you elicit truth.
Therefore, I hope that my noble friend, in the course of
the evening, has expressed opinions that will call forth
great controversy and great discussion, and which will
lead to great difference of opinion. But the main point
remains untouched ; and that is, the purport and object
of this association for the promotion and diffusion
of science. It is not to enounce abstract dogmas. (Hear. )
It is not the enunciation of abstract business. It is not
the mere development of the fruits of patient industry and
of long attention to some particular science, which are to
Le brought crudely before the notice of an admiring, but
to a great extent, an ignorant public ; but the object of
this association is to show, and practically to prove, how
science is to be brought to bear on all the ordinary trans-
actions of life—how science is to increase and improve the
commerce, the knowledge, the happiness, the physical
commerce, the physical comforts, the physical enjoyments,
and, still more, the mental enjoyments of mankind, under
all circumstances and in all situations of life. In this
great town you have unbounded and constantly increasing
wealth. For the means of further increasing that wealth
you are indebted in every branch to one or other of the de-
partments of science; and the object of the association
which is now beforeyou is to bring together practical facts,
and the observations of the most experienced and the most
scientific men, not for the purpose of accumulatingnnfruit-
ful and useless knowledge, but for the purpose of bringing
that knowledge to bear on the practical advantage, the
happinesss, the advancement, and the improvement of the
social, moral, and mental condition, as well as the natural
condition of the whole of their. fellow-countrymen. To
such an association this town, least of all, can be indif-
ferent ; and happy and proud am I to see this town and
county, with which I have been so closely connected, and
in whichl take, and alwaysshall take, the deepest and most
affectionate interest, welcome as they have done, appreciate
as they ought to do and receive with the honour which is due,
the visits of such' men as compose the British Association
—(hear)--a welcome mingled with feelings of respect to
the character, and of attachment to the person of my noble
friend—(hear)—with feelings also of respect for the high
position which he now occupies, by this evening's election,
of President of the British Assooiation for the forthcoming
year. (Cheers.) Ladies and genil.3men, forgive me for
having said a single word to take up your time `upon the
present occasion ; but I am sure you will feel with me that
we should be greatly neglecting our duty, not less to the
association than to our own feelings of private friendship
and personal regard, and to the sense which, I am sure,
you entertain of services rendered to this town, if we did
not welcome, in the most distinguished manner, this visit
of my noble friend the Earl of Harrowhy, congratulate him
on his election, and thank him for his address. (Cheers.)
Sir C. LYELL seconded the moti
by acclamation, and the proceedingson, Which was carried
terminated.

Intelligence COLLlSlONw.tasNrDecLeiovsesa
aotP Cues'_
terday of a most fearful collision iipE
IN
THE
°Ydh'
which resulted in the founderingrly savinintghetaookeunrspeleafo,yes-is
the Channel off the Start
an
barque, called the Oceanus, Capt.ofTaNiargorbeeck, and the
on Tuesday morning,
loss of one of her crew. The unfortunate ship was from
Akyab, laden with upwards of 500 tons of rice, and was
bound to Amsterdam.
ATTORNEYS AS BOROUGH MAGISTRATES.-0/1 Mon-
day, at a meeting of the Portsmouth Town Council, the
following resolution was adopted :—"That the Lord
Chancellor be respectfully solicited to consider the ap-
plication of this council of the 16th of August last, to
insert the name of the present mayor and chief magi-
strate in the commission of the peace for this borough,
f magistrate."
t?
NATURALISTS.—A short time ago, Jas.
on the ground that an attorney is not disqualified by law
from acting as a chi
A FACT FOR
took four young rabbits, which
hMeahrsandaflol,unaoinn
°f Beight°n' in the field to his
nest cottage, and
one at a time, by a cat.
tahe floor. The young strangers were
placed them .
of her natural offspring.
appears t 3 have transferred her affection to the
She
newly-adopted, and they, in turn, seem to reciprocate
yhaafdteiz-tariodtsetoakdeenpraiwveady,
INTERRUPTION OF A PEACE MEETING AT NEATH.—A.
rneeting
• of the Peace Society, held in the Town-hall,
Neath, on the 15th inst., adopted the following resolu-
tion :—" That this meeting emphatically disclaims and
eondemns the conduct and proceedings of certain parties
hPsehuresrstyi kindness.
who, in the Town-hall of Neath, on the 21st of July
last, under the specious guise of loyalty, interrupted and
prevented Mr. stokes, the agent of the London Pea
e
Society, from lecturing on the principles of peace,be;
inciting a mob to create a disturbance.
BRIGHTON LEVEL has become of late a very busy
not
edifying
g scene, every Sunday afternoon, 1
(like those represented in Vws 'et;
severalrair,
an
" preachers
in the old prints in the "Pilgrim's Progress'?l
address yarious groups of listeners or scoffers. -