The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-19 00:00:00

MR. EDMUND BEALES A. JUDGE.

The new judge, who- is well-known for the
active part he has taken in politics of late years,
and as the President of the late Reform League,
is the second son of the late Mr. S. P. Beales,
of Cambridge, and brother of Mr. P. Beales, who
has been several times Mayor of Cambridge. He was
educated at Eton, and graduated at Trinity College, Cam-
bridge, in 1825, and became M.A. in 1828. On the 25th
June, 1830, he was called to the bar by the Hon. Society
of the Middle Temple, and practised as an equity drafts-
man and conveyancer. Mr. Beales will commence his
sittinws next month.

The Spectator has reason to believe that M. Thiers has
not, as the Daily News says, come hither "oh his own
hook," but has been sent by the Provisional Government
to arrange any terms of peace that may be asked—short
of what seems to be the German sine quit non, a territorial
surrender.

RUMOURED ASSASSINATION OF THB CROWN PRINCR
of PRUSSIA. —A report was current in certainly usually
well-informed City circles on Friday that the Crown Prince
of Prussia had been assassinated—whether shot by Francs-
tireurs, or the victim of such a special blow as that destined
for Napoleon I. at Schonbrunn, was not stated. We are
glad to say, however, that no confirmation of
this report had, down to a late hour, reached the
Prussian Embassy ; and that most diligent in-
quiries in the quarters likely to know the truth
lend not the slightest countenance to the rumour of an
occurrence which would certainly have had the most de-
plorable consequences on the future character of the cam-
paign.--Telegraph.
LONDON CHI LDREN.—It is a marvellous life

when one' comes to think of it, that of the child of the
London Sack streets. Its very play is a serious matter,
partaking of the nature of a struggle for existence in con-
sequence of it always being an absolute necessity to have
an eye out for passing cabs and coal-waggons. But there
is much more work than play in• it. There is
probably not one of these children that is not
.wrfectly competent to take charge of a small
ma,rketiti., commission and bring back the change correct
t the uttermost farthing ; and most of them are a thou-
sand times more profound in the current price of groceries
than a country bride making her debut in housekeeping.
AII their early training tends to give smartness, self-re-
liance, and presence of mind. Long before it can walk a
London child is made familiar with all that turmoil which
so paralyses and terrifies the country mind. —Pall Mall
Gazette.

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.
LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY.
It has long been a wholesome rule with the British As-
sociation to make its Saturday sitting as light as possible.
Even when, as is the case this year, there are no regular
organised excursions to occupy the after part of the day,
it seems to be accepted as quite the proper thing that the
work done in the various departments should be reduced
to the minimum, and should be got over as rapidly as may
be, nor is there want of reason in this, for as a little know-
ledge is a dangerous thing, so too much science is awe ari-
some thing, and a breach of a few hours midway between
the first and the final days of the meeting to be
devoted to something else than then the consideration of
speculative theories or demonstrable facts is not to be
despised. Such a breach this year is perhaps doubly
valuable because there is so much to be seen in Liverpool
and the neighbourwood of a kind which can be seen no-
where else. The chemists and those who favour the
chemical section, with a wisdom as pleasant as it is
practical held their sitting not in the Royal Institution,
where they meet daily, but at at St. Helens, whither
they went to inspect the Chemical Manufacturing Works
with which that district abounds. This left only eight
sections sitting in the town, and of the papers brought
forward in these none were of very special interest. Indeed,
if the truth be confessed, which is whispered in many
quarters, the whole character of the papers and the dis-
cussion of the present meeting have lacked that force and
interest which has appertained to those of.formeT meetings.
Those to be reproduced next week however may go
far to rectify this. Of the lectures and addresses
there can be found little to complain. The effort
of Professor Tyndall last night was a worthy sequel to the
inaugural deliverance of the president ; and the lecture
of Sir John Lubbock at night, on savages, his favourite
and well studied theme, thoroughly sustained his reputa-
tion. The qpnomic science and statistics section, always
an important one, had under its notice, to-day, a variety
of subjects of considerable interest; as usual the question
of a patent law cropped up, the discussion
being raised on a paper presented by Dr. Vank-
hurst, in which it was pointed out that the practical
evils of the present system were-1. The indiscriminate
granting of patents. 2. The want of accuracy in describ-
ing the nature and limits of the rights secured by the
patent. 3. The cost, vexation, and unsatisfactory character
of the trials of patent causes. The remedies which he
suggested were twofold suggestions for the efficient work-
ing of the existing law, and the introduction of addi-
tional provisions both of constitution and adminis-
tration. The proposed remedies might be thus
classified. 1. Conditions precedent 'to the granting of
patents. 2. Provisions to secure accuracy of description
and definition. 3. Conditions precedent to litigation.
4. Provisions in regard to the trial of patent causes. With
regard to the first point, the present function of the law
officers of the Crown should be either absolutely abolished
or essentially modified. Next, the grant of a patent
should be preceded by an examination by competent
examining officers. The result of that examination
should be made in the form of a report, and if favourable,
a grant should at once be made. If unfavourable,
there should be the right of appeal. On the second point
the specification which was the patentees' charter should
be reported upon by competent officers. On the third
point, prior to the institution of proceedings for infringe-
ment, the report of an examining officer should be obtained,
based upon the statement of the applicant as to the precise
nature and extent of the infringement. On the fourth
point the trial of patent causes should be conducted before
a judge sitting with assessors. By such means it was
contended that the total amount of litigation would be
lessened, and that simplicity and efficiency would be given
to the administration of the patent laws. The giving to
inventors a limited right of property in their inventions
would afford them the best security, while with the least
practicable interference with free action, it would confer
the greatest advantage upon the public.
In the Economic Science and Statics Section Mr.
James Heywood read a paper " On the aptitude of North
American Indians for agriculture," in which he stated
that in the " reserves to which they were limited or
driven in Canada they had shewn a decided tendency
towards farming with every prospect of be-
coming prosperous and respectable persons. He
gave many interesting details respecting the " Tuscarora
Reserve ' in Canada, especially in - connexion
with missionary efforts. ith regard to the United States
Indians he said it appeared from the report of the joint
committee of the two Houses of Congress, that generally
the condition of those on the borders of the Pacific shewed
that they paid great attention to the rearing of horses and
cattle ; that they managed their farms with intelligence and
industry, which would do credit to more civilized people,
and that some of them were comparatively wealthy. He
urged the importance of the Governmenss of both coun-
tries giving more direct aid to these people with a view to
encourage agriculture among them. Sir Stafford North-
cote having recently seen the Indians on the Red River
settlement, said he could bear testimony to their general
appearance being most satisfactory and promising. They
were clothed, and comported themselves in such a way
that it required a close inspection to say whether they
were Indians or a more civilised people. They
Ind made considerable progress in farming and
civilisation, and, indeed, as regarded all the
Indians in the Old Dominion the problem had been
or was in a fair way of being solved ; but they could not
convert all at once the hunting races of the far West into
a;Ticulturists, and they should be dealt with with more
care. Our great aim should be not to mould those Indians
according to our own particular idea but to assist them in
ivorking out their impfovement in their own way and
encourage them in hunting and pastoral habits.
He said the treatment of Indians by the
Hudson's Bay Company had been highly successful and
observed that an important feature was the prevention of
the sale of spiritous liquors, of which the Indians them-
selves admitted beneficial result. Mr. R. N, Fowler,
M.P., expressed his satisfaction that the treatment of
Aboriginal races by civilised communities was receiving
more attention than it had hitherto done; their object
should be to civilise and not, as had occurred in too
many cases, to exterminate them. In reply to a
question, Mr. Heywood said that the population of
Indians in the Tuscorora did not increase ; they were
prosperous. Mr. Bromilaw pointed out the evil effects of
the consumption of spirits among the Indians, and con-
demned the harsh treatment which they received at the
hands of the white man. He expressed the opinion that
the race would ultimately die out, but thought we should
do all we could to delay, and, if possible, avert that fate.
The staple of the scientific aliment to be consumed by
the frequenters of the mathematical and physical science
section was of a character so imperatively demanding a
digestion of the highest order that courage sufficient
to attack it was found only in a very few. None
but the iQorant would deny the importance of such
inquiries as those dealing with the theory of elliptic and
hypelliptic function's, or with lineal differential equations,
or small oscillations of a rigid bone, but it would require
much eloquence to induce the generality of visitors to
spend their mornings in listening to discussions upon
them. The Mathematical Section, therefore, was only
thinly attended.
Sponges formed an important item in the discussions of
the Depariment of Zoology and Botany of the Biology sec-
tion, and some exceedingly interesting details were fur'
nished respecting them, and many curious specimens were
exhibited. Of these the most notable was the Portuguese
globular anchor sponge, which proved very attractive, it
was explained that it was discovered embedded in mud,
and surrounded with a white filmy maize hanging down
from it, and much resembling the whitened beard of an
elderly gentleman. The specimen in question was brought
up- in the tangle of a dredging machine, and
it was stated that it was one of several
which when they were first seen clinging to the tangle
had a most startling appearance, looking not at all unlike
a series of heads of murdered children. This, at all
events, was the idea which suggested itself to Professer
Wyville Thompson. There was also exhibited a

very fine specimen of a pentacrinus from the
coasts of Spain and Portugal. This is the first ever
discovered in a northern sea. Another paper contributed
to this section was one on the Pearly Nautilus, by Mr.
Henry Woodward, which pointed out the special interest
attaching to the nautilus, on account of its bust geological
as well as wide geographical range, extending from the
lower silurian strata to the present period.
As a centre of attaction the Anthropological, or as it is
by the votaries of the science preferred to be called, the
Ethnological Section, maintains its ground, though the
papers read referred only to the explanations
of the Victoria case at Settle, in Yorkshire, a description
of remarkable earthworks at Wainfleet, in Lincolnshire,
and remarks upon ancient sculptures and works of art
from Irish cairns and on some forms of ancient miterment
in the County. Antrim. The Geography Section, which
had to submit to the temporary absence of its
president, Sir Roderick Murchison, was also 'well
attended, and some interesting information was afforded
on the South African gold fields, and a variety of matters
cognate to the science to which the section is devoted. The
geologists, though by no means a feeble, are not a
popular folk, that is as far as regards their
discussions, so that the audience in their department was
somewhat select. Mechanical scienceis an abstruse subject
not easily understood, even by the aid of diagrams.
So the members as a rule stay away rather than attend
the section. Nevertheless, some good solid facts
in reference to new inventions and appliances were
communicated. In the several papers read bones were to
the fore ; in the department of anatomy and physiology,
skull bones, hip bones, and shoulder bones, they were all
discussed, and were only attractive to a limited circle.
Sir John Lubbock's lecture to the working classes
was on the social and religious condition of the
lower races of man. It set out with an account of
some of the differences existing between savages, and then
passed on to notice their views and habits, in reference to
marriage and relationship, upon which points, some
interesting details were furnished. Sir John concluded
by observing that it was clear that the lowest savages are
entirely deficient in the idea of marriages and of family,
and that the position of women is wretched in the extreme.
The ideas of relationship, founded on marriage, have only
gradually been acquired, and thus civilization has raised
the position of woman, and in making her alrelp-
meet instead of a slave, has purified and softened
all the conditions of social life. The higher posi-
tion of woman is one of the points in which we see most
clearly the enormous advantage of civilisation over
barbarism. On the subject of the religion of the lower
savages it was shown that it is very unlike that of most
advanced races. Indeed, in many respects it is
time very opposite. Their ' deities are evil, not
good. They may be forced into compliance with the
wishes of man. They require bloody, and rejoice even
hi human, sacrifices. They are mortal not immortal, a
part of nature, not the creators of the world. They aro
to be approached by dances rather than by prayers, and
often approve of vice rather than of what we esteem as
virtue. The ideas of religion among the lower races of
man are intimately associated with, if indeed they have •
not originated from, the condition of man during sleep,