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

B. MINING RECORD OFFICE.

9. This office, as your lordships are aware, was reor-
ganised in 1851, and the now arrangements continue to
give much increased efficiency to it.
The keeper of the records, Mr. It. Hunt, has visited,
during the last year, various mining districts, with the
view of obtaining the;r co-operation.
He has published important statistical returns regarl-
in,g the produce of tin, ciipper, lead, and silver, for 1853
and 1854 ; and of iron, coal, and other minerals for 1854
In these he states that the annual drain on our coal
fields is about 64 millions of tons, a quantity much
larger than was formerly believed to be the case.
Previously to the reorganisation of this office, only
about 69 plans and sections of mines in Cornwall and
Devonshire had been deposited in it. In the year 1851
111 plans and secti,os were procured, and in the past
year 219 have hepn added.

C. METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF SCIENCE APPLIED TO
MINING AND TP3 ARTS.
10. This school continues to give. systematic c curses
of instruction during the day to matriculated and other
students. snd short courses of lectures in the evening to
the working classes. The systematic courses during the
last ptar coro:isted of :-
100 Lectures on Chemistry.
43 Physics.
Metallurgy.
60
40 ft Mineralogy.
30 Geology.
50 9, Natural History.
30 79 Applied Mechanics.
The new entries to the courses have been, as contrasted
with the previous year, as follow :

1854-55. 1355 56.
Mrttricalated students l6 ... I
General Ltudents

The attendance of matriculated students (those who
enter for two years and enjoy the full benefit cf the
classes and of the examinations by the profess ,r.) is
really representel by both years, so that the numbers
may be stated as 30 matriculated and 56 general stu.
dents.

The increase in the number of general students is gra-
tifying, as a considerable proportion of them in previous
years consisted of officers, both in her Majesty's and in
the East India Company's service, who have been un-
able, in consequence of the war, to continue their atten-
dance.

11. An evening course of lectures, chiefly intended for
schoolmasters, but open to others, was given during the
last year by Professor Huxley, and was attended by 64
persons, of 17 were schoolmasters. In the previous
coarse of chemistry by Dr. Hofmann, 253 persons at-
tended, of whom 60 were schoolmasters.
It would be a subject of regret to your lordships if
similar courses of instruction were not to be given in
future years, special reasons having been assigned for
their discontinuance durieg the preQent year.
12. The lectures to the working men have con iisted,
during the past year, of four courses.
Six upon Natural Philosophy, by Professor Stokes.
If Chemistry by Dr. Hofmanr.
Metals
IP
pt Mining by Ur. Smyth.
The attendance upon them has been limited by the
Ei2'.3 of the lecture room, which can only accommodate
600 persons, so that for the four courses nearly 2,400
tickets have been issued.
13. The laboratories attached to this institution are
two in number. The attendance in the laboratory of
the Royal College of Chemistry, under Dr. Hofmann,
has amounted to 100 pupils, and that in the laboratory
of Dr. Percy, which is confined to the special subject of
metallurgy, to 27 pupils..
Dr. Percy has completed, and has now in the press,
an elaborate inquiry on the composition of the iron
ores of this country. Ile also made, besides other in-
quiries for the Ordnance and the Colonial Secretary, an
examination of several ancient bells, with a view of
ascertaining the best composition for the grea: bell
of the new Houses of Parliament. Dr. Hofmann.,
in addition to the remarkable scientific invest;ga,-
tions which have issued from his laberatcry,
has made several reports on sal jects transmitted by
various public departments.
D. muszum or PRACTICAL GEOLOGY.
14. Advances have been male in the preparation of
catalogues for this museum, and the director lrmes to
he able to issue a popular edition of them in the course
of the present year.

It is gratifying to state that the museum has been
opened during five days of the week instead of three, as
formerly. The number of visitors during last year was
13,000, being about 3,000 less than the previous year. A
corresponding diminution of numbers will be observed in
most museums during the year, and is supposed to be
due to the state of public affairs connected with the war.
&floe the opening of the museum, however, which
cok place M the close of last year, during five days ifl