The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-21 00:00:00

THE DEPABTMEAT OF SCIENCE AND

ART.

The following is a copy of the third report of the
Department of Science and Art, presented to both
Houses of Parliament :

TO THE LORDS OF THE COMMITTEE OF PRIVY COUNCIL
FOP. TP.ADE,

Marlborough House, Pall-Mall, June, 1856.
My Lords,-1. I have now the honour to submit to
your lordships the third annual report of the Department
of Science and Art, being that for the past year.
2. No change in the constitution of the department
has taken place during the past year, and I am not able
to report fully on the effects of the changes which were
described in my la-t report. It was then explained that
Mr. Cole, formerly joint secretary, was appointed in-
spector-general, with the view of visiting, and producing
increased' efficacy in, the various schools and institutions
throughout the king lom ; but, as the Government had
entrusted the management of the British portion of the
French Exhibition to this department, it was considered
desirable to give the direction of the Exhibition in Paris
to Mr. Cole, and in discharging this duty to the satis-
faction of your lordships, he has not been able to devote
undivided attention to his new duties as inspector gene-
ra'. The time of the art superictendent, Mr. Red grave,
was also much occupied in affording his valuable experi-
ence to the Fine Arts Exhibition in Paris until the close
of the year. In consequence of these occupations, the
whole time of these gentlemen could not be given to the
efficient working of a system of inspection during the
last year, but 1 am now able to report it as being in full
force, and as promising the most satisfactory results.
3. In the last report the subjects were so divided as
to bring at once under your lordships' attention the
analogous branches of the services throughout the coun-
try ; but this classification produced a separation of
offices carried on in the same proportion, and thus pre-
vented the entire objects of each being readily reen.
With your sanction, I accordingly adopt another ar-
rangement, which has the advantage of pointing on the
various duties entrusted to each separate institution, al-
though it in some degree divides the subjects corn: non
to all the services. This report is, therefore, dii.ided
into the following heads :

I. Metropolitan institutions in London, Dublin, and
Edinburgh.
11. Aid to schools in connection with the department,
having reference to secondary instruction.
111. Aid to schools not immediately connected with. the
department—primary instruction.
IV. Aid to schools by the formation and diffusi( si of
examples and illustrations as means of study .
V. Public services connected with the department..
1. METROPOLITAN INSTITUTIONS.
1. THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS, MINING SCHOOL, WU-
SEMI OF PRACTICAL GEOLOGY AND MINING RECOIL])
OFFICE.
4. The Government institution in Jermyn•street, under
the direction of Sir R. I. Murchison, includes several
services, which require to be considered separately.
A. TEE GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS OF THE INITED
KINGDOM.
These surveys, under the general direction of Sir R.
Murchison, are carried on in Great Britain under the im-
mediate superintendence of Professor Ramsay, and in
Ireland under that of Professor J. B. Jukes.
GREAT BRITAIN.
5. In Great Britain, during the past year, the total
field-work executed extends over nearly 1,700 square
miles.

One sheet and 15 quarter-sheets of the trigonoTnetri-
cal survey, geologically coloured, have been published
since the last report. These embrace an area of about
2,400 square miles, and comprise parts of the counties
of Worcester, Salop, Chester, Stafford, Leicester,. Not-
tingham, and Derby.
Portions of these surveys relate to the coal fie.'de of
the central counties, and include 127 miles] of horizontal
sections, illustrating not only the known mineral weitltb,
but also the probable depth at which the coal-beating
strata may be reached beneath the broad bands of red
rocks which rest upon them.
Maps of North Staffordshire, Warwickshire, North-
amptonshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorsetshire,
and the Isle of Wight, are far advanced, and comp►ise
an area of 2,580 square miles.
Towards the close of the previous year, the geological
survey of Scotland was begun, and now about 117 square
miles of Haddingtonshire have been mapped on the six-
inch scale, and will be published on the maps of the one-
inch scale.