The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-25 00:00:00

AIM" L SCIENCE ASSOCIATION MEET-

ING AT GLASGOW.

GLASGOW, SEPT.
The annual meeting of the Social Science Asso-
ciation was opened to-day, most of the distinguished
strangers having arrived either on Saturday or this
morning. Lord Brougham reached Glasgow on
Saturday evening, and is staying with Sir James
Campbell, of Stracathro.
The Council met in the fore-hall of the University
at half-past 12, and concluded the arrangements as
far as possible.
The Rev. Dr. ROBERTSON, at 2 o'clock, delivered
an eloquent discourse before the members and asso-
ciates in the High Church (Cathedral).
Lord BROUGHAM delivered the inaugural address
at 8 o'clock p.m. in the City Hall, which was
crowded. The following is an abstract of his
address
In the outset of our proceedings we arematu-
rally led to mark the progress of social science in
past times, as well as its state at this day. The
novelty of the name to designate what was before
unknown in its various branches proves how little
till of late years men had devoted themselves to
these inquiries in the aggregate, although Tarticia-
lar subjects might more or less have engaged the
attention of different classes without regard to the
relation subsisting among them. But, indeed, we
cannot go far back in the history of statesmen and
lawgivers and of the community at large without
the conviction that the attention of any class
fixed exclusively upon one or other of the branches
is only to be observed in the more recent period of
our social annals. We shall best ascertain the pro-
gress of our science by casting an eye. over the
history of the parties which have divided both
the rulers and the people, and observing what
attention was given to it, and how far it entered
into their controversies.
"That men of rare endowment flourished in those
times —indeedof the highest qualities ever displayed
in public life—is undeniable ; and that their talents
fitted them for government in an extraordinaty de-
gree is as certain as that by their eloquence they
were masters of debate. Beside Walpole, there were
Cartard and Pultney, of first-rate distinction as ora-
tors—nay, Bolingbroke, according to all tradition
the very first of modern times. But their lives were
in council devoted to the intrigues of party, in the
Senate to party eloquence, in office to preserving
all things as they had found them ; and when Lord
Chatham somewhat later was at the head of affairs,
either in opposition or in the m'nority, not only
were his whole attacks upon hie adversaries con-
fined to purely party grounds, but his own policy
shows him so little in advance of his age, that, as
regarded France, it was grounded upon the narrow,
antiquated notion of natural enmity ; and as re-
garded America, upon the equally narrow and anti-
quated notion of natural sovereignty. To work out
those great principles—to attack alt invasion of the
one either in alliances or in war, and of the other
in government, was the object of his public life.
Yet so powerful is habit, such the force of routine,
he seemed wholly unable to comprehend that it is
our first duty by all means to cultivate peace with
our neatest neighbour, as the first of blessings to
both nations, each being able to do the other the
most good in amity, the most harm in hostility; but
he could only see glory, or even safety, in the pie
carious superiority grasped by a successful war. In
like manner, as often as the idea of American inde-
pendence crossed his mind, he instantly and utterly
rejected it as the destruction of our national exist-
ence, instead of wisely perceiving that to become the
fast friends of the colonies which we had first planted
and long cherished under our protection would be-
nefit both ourselves and them the more by suffering
them in their full growth to be as independent as
we had always been. Was Lord Chatham singu-
lar in those feelings ? Not at all; but he was not
at all wiser than others. The American war had
raged for years before the word separation crossed
the lips of any man in either House of Parliament—
the mismanagement of the war and ill-treatment of
the colonists being the only topics of attack upon the
Government from those wnose averred object was to
prevent the necessity of separation.
" But out of this war and this revolution arose
fundamental differences of opinion upon the great
questions of allegiance, of popular rights, and ge
nerally of civil liberty—opinions carried still fur-
ther by the greater Revolution (not unconnected
with that event) which convulsed Europe a few
years later ; and parties became marshalled accord-
ing to principles thus entertained by many, pro-
fessed by more ; and at the end of the century was
distinguished, as had been the greater part of the
century before not by the ale ence of all party. and
personal combination, but by important principles
on matters of Church and State becoming the giound
of attachment or opposition to persons, or of the ties
that held parties together.
" While the holding certain opinions, and acting
upon certain principles, more or less mixed with
personal or patty feelings, gives these opinions and
principles a weight in the public estimation greater
than their intrinsic importance would have pos-
sessed, they were all, without any exception, of such
a description that they lent themselves to the policy
of conflicting parties. But, in the couise of time,
and the improvement of men's views touching their
real interests, their attention was turnedto opinions
and principles among the most important of all, but
on which the leaders of particular classes could not
fasten se as to appropriate them, because they so
plainly concerned the whole community, or were of
such unquestionable soundness and truth that no
dispute could arise respecting them, any diversity
of views being necessarily confined to points of de-
tail, and consequently they were placed beyond
the field of party conflict. The duty and the
expediency of philanthropic policy in one
sense comprises all the subjects belonging to
this class ; but even in a more restricted accep-
tation it embraces some of the most remarkable.
One characteristic of these opinions has just
been noted, their not lending themselves to
party controversy ; another and equally striking is
their being held by those who had no special inte-
rest in them. Their professors might be benefited
with the rest of the community, but in any other
respect were entirely disinterested. Indeed, some
principles were unconnected with any benefit even
to the community at large, and might involve a
sacrifice of its interest to the higher feelings of
duty. The subject belonging to this class, the ear-
liest in date, is also the one that most truly falls
within this description of having originated in just
and pure principles, in those of justice and huma-
nity—the extinction of slavery and the abolition of
the traffic in slaves. For the first time statesmen
and orators were seen directing their exertions to
a suNeet which no party in the State could turn to
its account, upon which all men were agreed as to
the merits of the question, and could only differ re-
garding the time and manner of its solution. The
subject was first urged upon the attention of the
Legislature by men who belonged not to its body,
and whose opinions differed from those of the Go-
vernment; and it was welcomed by members of
Parliament firmly attached to the Ministry—nor
even during the half century over which the history
of the question extends was it mixed in any manner
of way with the conflicts of patty, while they raged
more fiercely
.than in any former period, and the
men engaged in them were on all other questions
the most lavishly praised, and the most unsparingly
assailed. This felicity of the great question has not
attended it in the new world ; slavery is not merely
a ground of party division, but it 19 the great and
paramount, nay, almost the only ground both of
conflict between parties in each State of the Union
and of the differences between the States them-
selves. The grand question of the election of the
President (now approaching) turns entirely upon
the principles professed by the candidates respect-
ing slavery ; and this question involves all other
disputes, inasmuch as, to the unspeakable misfor-
tune of that great community, the appointment of
all public functionaries, from the highest to the
humblest, depends upon the election of the chief
magistrate, and all may be removed on their party
being defeated at that election."
After alluding to the necessity of public educa-
• tion, his Lordship continued,—
There are two subjects of a more general de-
scription, one of which has often come under-dis-
cussion, and is not unattended with difficulty; but
the other of great importance, and by no means of
difficult consideration. A great error was at one
time committed, at the establishment of schools
'Fen the principle of Bell and Lancaster. The fa-
cilities afforded for teaching great numbers under
a single master gave rise to a prevailing impression
that cheapness of instruction could best be secured
by these means, and there was too great a dispoes.
tion to make this the ruling principle. But expe-
rience has proved, what a little reflection might
earlier have shown, the great advantage of nume-
rous teachers. In truth, this is essential, not only
for securing thorough instruction, but for maintain-
ingthat discipline, that influence of moral autho-
rity Which is the most important benefit conferred
bY attendance upon a school. It is to be hoped
that the whole of this subject will be fully consi-
dered by the
are the resultdepartment, and these facts, which
otmen's actual experience, be gathered
together, and the inferences to which that experi-
ence leads be distinctly pointed out.
But though education and training, imparting
sound knowledge, religious and moral, and exalt-
ing the character, as of rational beings, is the most
important of all our duties towards the humbler
class of our fellow citizens, it is by no means to
supereede the care 9f their temporal welfare, or to

be taken as_a substitute :of that other imperative

duty. A wide field is this opened to sotialscience,
and it is one which only in Modern times has re-
ceived any cultivation. Count Rumford was a great
benefactor to the world in promoting the more im-
portant of its branches. His plans-, for the most
' part, were well devised to ft tfease the comforts of
-the poor, and carried into execution while he held
high court and military employment in Bavaria, de-
serve the greatest of attention ; and the study of
his essays, in which they are minutely detailed, is
a duty incumbent upon all well-wishers to the pros-
perity and the peace and order of society. Especially
to be considered are his proposals for improving
the construction and arrangement of cottages, for
the convenient application of heat to culinary and
other purposes, for the preparation of cheap, whole-
some, and nutritious food, for the saving of fuel,
and alimentary matter. Much may be done for the
substantial bettering of the poor man's condition,
f his labour, by attend-
and the preservation of his health, as well as
the saving of his money and o . .
a suggestions, in almost every
his actual experience, and in
iinngstatoncCeo theun t
result Rumford
e r'
some respects, as in regardto the communication of
heat, the corollaries from certain truths which he
ascertained by his experiments, although he erred
in some points of the theory which he sought to
establish upon them. One inference of much im-
portance which he drew from the improvements
effected in the condition of the poor, including the
vagrant class, is the salutaiy tendency of increased
comforts to lessen the number of crimes, as well as
to mitigate their character, both in the civil and
military portions of the community. There can be
no greater encouragement to our efforts in augment-
ing the comforts of the people than the high and
pure gratification derived from the conviction that
increase of happiness is attended Kith increase of
virtue, that the good bestowed makes men more
worthy to receive and enjoy it.
" Nothing can be more gratifying in this, and in
every other view, than the success of the great mea-
sure which the working classes themselves have
lately adopted to provide for their comfort, to hus-
band their resources, and to protect them from im-
position by the formation of cc operative societies ;
and happily these have multiplied. especially in the
manufacturing districts of Lancashire and Yofic-
shire. Such societies are of two kinds. The one
has for its immediate object to expend the income
of each member to the b-,t advantage for himself;
the other to enable him to obtain the largest return
for his capital and industry.
" This most interesting subject will certainly
occupy both our general and judicial departments.
" At our last Congress great attention we s paid
to the important subject of temperance, and especi-
ally to the necessity of prepeeing public opinion for
those repressive measures which experience daily
proves more and more clearly to be required for
lessening the consumption of spirituous liquors.
The great source of pauperism and of crimes has
hitherto only been attacked by pe"iatives, and
although these have had a certain success, yet if
there be any means not expo:ed to serious objec-
tions by which the evil may be extirpated, the
gain to society would be incalculable. No measure
of absolute repression can of course be recommended
until the public mind has been not only prepared,
but strongly inclined for it. But the proposal of
the grand alliance well deserves a careful conside-
ration—the plan of enabling a certain proportion
of the inhabitants in every district—a propor lion
considerably above the ccmmercial majority, to give
the magistrates authority for placing the districts
under a general. repressive Act, passed with such
modifications as, according to the Act's provisions,
may be allowed in the peculiar local circumstances.
A very extensive adhesion has been given to the
propo3al in the great districts of Manchester and
Birmingham, and this besides its intrinsic merits
will be quite sufficient to cause a searching exami-
nation by our departments, sanatory and of juris-
prudence. That it deeply conceins both need not
be added. But which of all our departments does
it not most deeply concern? Remember the me-
morable expression of that great philanthropist, our
eminent colleague the Recorder of Birmingham.
' Whatever step I take,' says Mr. Hill, ' and into
whatever direction I may strike, the drink demon
starts up before me and blocks the way.
" But although the different branches of social
science and their principles are in this country
happily removed from the influence of party as a
disturbing force, that influence must of course con-
stantly interfere with the adoption of the measures
which these principles lee d us to recommend. Hence
the conduct of the Government and of the Legisla-
ture becomes a most important subject of conside-
ration, but we are by the constitution of our body
obliged to confine this discussion ssitb'n somewhat
narrow limits, more especially avoiding all personal
or party topics. It is, nowever, both permitted and
required that we direct our attention to those parts
of the political system which prove obsti active to the
progress of social improvement, or which are more
or less shown to have that tendency in the history
of our times. Any defects of this description,
whether in the power of the Government, or in
the uniform course of its practical administration
—any such obst, actions arising from the structure
or the action of the branches themselves of the
Legislate-e, fall within the scope of our legitimate
discussion, to be undertaken respectfully as to the
manner, cautiously vs to the subject-matters, and
temperately and considerately as to suggestions
offered, regard being had to the great importance
of the interests involved, and to the dignity as well
as the power of the authorities, whose constitution
i or whose proceedings are in question.
"At our last Congress the contrast was held out
in strong language, but not stronger than the case
demanded, between our Parliamentary constitution
and the mockery of popular government presented
by the existing system among our nearest neigh-
bours. 'I he entire freedom of discussion on all public
measures which we enjoy, was set in opposition to
the utter absence of any thing deserving the name
under the form of government which they have
chosen as adapted to their character and suited to
their circumstances. Nor is it intended now to
qualify in the least degree the panegyrics then pro-
nounced as resulting from the comparison. To the
astonishment of all mankind, it has lately been
found decent at Paris to extol the French legisla-
tive proceedings as conducted with a perfect regard
to free discussion, and as securing all the liberty
which the people can wish to possess. We have
no vocation here to dispute this eulogy, or to ques-
tion the grounds of it, how startling soever it may
have proved. But neither are we required to par-
take of the self-satisfaction, the happy
complacency
which these praises testify to exist, if not among
those to whom they are addressed, certainly in those
from whom they proceed. On the contrary, we have
much to complain of in our own system, at least in
the manner of acting under it, and the ground of
complaint is so undeniable that a remedy may be
reasonably expected by some
neighbours, happy in so perfect a system, andex-
ulting in it, cannot wish for any improvement.
" The greatest objection to the conduct of the
business in the two Houses of Parliament, particu-
larly in the Commons, arises from the reluctance to
fetter discussion either by rules binding upon the
members, or by restraining the speakers in their
addresses. Besides the question before the house,
and on the m-rits of which a speech must always
be regular, there are many questions in debating
which great latitude is taken, so as to introduce
topics quite foreign to the subject-matter itself.
Thus upon a motion for adjournment, although the
only matter in question is whether there shall be an
adjournment or not, it is the inveterate habit to in-
troduce any subject on which any speaker desires
to be heard, however foreign to the question of ad-
journing. Now, the mot 'on to adjourn either the
house or the debate may be made at any time, and
may be repeated any number of times. Then, as
the rule is absolute that except iu committees, no
member shall speak more than once in any
debate, he may evade this rule by moving
au adjournment, and could only be prevented
by the general uproar which it would
probably occasion from speaking again upon the
question under colour of supporting the motion to
adjourn. Yet this is really the only abuse of the
motion to adjourn, which has hardly ever been com-
mitted. Upon this motion often repeated speeches
are made and divisions had, sometimes for the
avowed purpose of defeating a measure supported
by a vast majority, sometimes in order to delay its
progress. It is to be observed that all obstructions
of this kind, indeed of every kind, arise from the
rights of a minority, however inconsiderable. If
nut a few persons league themselves together, they
may occasion as great a delay as if they composed a
numerous and power ful body. The mere prolixity
of speech is far from being the only cause of ob-
struction. The number of speakers is a very
great cause. There are many members so insig-
nificant that beyond a few of their own connexions
they are wholly unknown except to their consti-
tuents. But they desire to speak, first, because
they
would court these constituents,•
or impress them
with a notion of their
theyimportance;speeches. gain general reputation
It is, therefore, undeniable
that the two causes of this excessive speaking—the
speaking of members whose talents, information, or
personal importance
returgni gives
psthliament by bodies of
them no claim to be
heard—are their
electors, and the report of Parliament
their . speeches in the
daily papers. Thus the combination
of small par-
ties, the determination to resist whatever proceeds
from certain quarters, the Government especially,
in whose hands soever it is placed, the desire to
make their support of consequence, which, insigni-
cant in itself, may be of moment when the great
parties are equally balanced, and the countless num•
bars of endless speeches without any merit, by per..

sons of no mark, have of late times made the House
of Commons a byword as a place of talk and not of
work, the caricature of a popular assembly—
"'haitecifaction has set wrong;
all night long
IC4 Wlivjahhseeerrteetiribeligohii st
0 bw'
ratot y- thresh the floor
" ' That yields them chaff and dust, awl nothing more.'
Having pointed out the means by which the pro-
lixity of debates might be prevented, his Lordship
said t—" That measures upon the principles of so-
cial science, with all other real improvements, must
gain incalculably by such a change, none can
doubt. But if there Were no question of social im-
provement, no desire of amendment of the law ; if
the name of social science were no more heard, and
the thing occupied men's minds no more, there is a
paramount interest to be consulted, a great catas-
trophe to be warded off. The cause of constitutional
regimen is in jeopardy; the continuance of free,
that is of Parliamentary, Government is at stake ;
the question is, shall we any longer enjoy the bless-
ings of a mixed and balanced constitution, or shall
we be sunk into the deplorable condition of being
governed by an absolute monarch and a mob—
suppressing all discussion, whether in assemblies of
a mcck Legislature or among the people; and not
only rigorously forbidding all objections to the acts
of power, all observation on those who wield it, but
compelling both the slaves who speak and the
slaves who write to labour in panegyrics of the ex-
tent and according to the pattern set down before
them, till, from the scum of the German baths and the
sluice of the French pros inces, there
..is compounded
a plaster only bearable by those over whom it is
spread, to all the rest of mankind being unspeak-
ably offensive and disgusting. Such a fate could
never befall this country ; but, though a despotism
in form is impossible here, let us never forget how
large a portion of its substance might be inflicted
upon us by a not very slow or gradual process. If
the obstruction to all business cannot be any longer
endured, if anything would be less intolerable than
a continuance of the evil, never let the recollection
fade from oar memory of how much has been
suffered by other countries to prevent the recur-
rence of es A times. The successive despotisms in
France, whether of the multitude or of the
oligarchy, or of a single tyrant, have all been ren-
dered possible, and been even quietly borne, rather
than encounter the worse calamity of the Reign of
Terror. Let us not be too sure that a regimen
differing in little but the name from absolute
Government might not be gradually introduced
among us under shelter of the cry, ' Anything is
better than the session of 1860.' If, however, from
that session we have derived little benefit to
our great cause of social science, we have at least
received the lesser advantages of sanitary warn-
ings ; and of these, two are of considerable practi-
cal importance. In the first place, the necessity of
a Minister of Justice has become manifest ; what
before was deemed highly expedient is now plainly
shown to be reqvisite. It can hardly be doubted
that any one of the late tenures, of zhich all men
now complain, would have been prevented had we
possessed the inestimable advantage of a depart-
ment responsible for carrying the measures judi-
ciously selected, and with care and skill prepared.
No one can deny that, to take the most remarkable
instance, the Bankruptcy Bill, dismembered of the
provisions which were little more than enactments,
but formed a huge, an appalling mass, relieved
from the clauses most objected to, and intrusted to
those who had no other work, and were answer-
able for its passing through the Commons, would
have reached the Lords in time to be considered
and adopted—i f, indeed, it had not, as most pro-
bably would have been the case, been first brought
into the Lords at a period when they had little to
do, and the Commons were overwhelmed, or acted
as if they felt overwhelmed, with work. The like
would have happened with every one of the other
law bills, as well those which failed as those which
passed in debate, or with an amount of discussion
barely decent. But further illustration was given
of such a department's importance in conducting
the important duty of deciding in the exercise of
the high and delicate prerogative of mercy. Does
any one now affect to doubt that this should be
vested in a lawyer' The whole subject of a de-
partment of justice has long been in the hands of
our able, learned, and excellent colleague, the late
Chancellor of Ireland, who indeed obtained the
sanction of the Commons to a resolution which he
moved; and we may truly affirm that no relecting
person now entertains any doubt upon the question,
except as to whether the undivided responsibility
of a single Minister should not be preferred to the
advantage derived from the concurrence of several,
and from the greater weight thus possessed, as
well as the fuller investigation of difficult questions.
"The other warning afforded by the late session
relates to the consolidation of the law. Bills care-
fully prepared by successive committees of the Lords,
with the aid of the ablest draughtsmen, and after
the fullest discussions attended by experienced
criminal lawyers, and after reports of commissions
upon all the details—bills which embodied a con-
solidation of the law upon the most important
heads of criirs", were sent down to the Commons,
acid it was found impossible toproceed a single step
in the consideration of them. But utterly hopeless
as any such attempt must have proved in the past
session, and with the weight under which it la-
boured, there was presented to the minds of all re-
flecting persons in a stronger light than ever the
absolute necessity of performing this important
work in one way, and the utter impossibility of ever
accomplishing it in any other—namely, the Com-
mons agreeing to repose confidence in those who
had prepared the digest—especially the Lords who
had examined, considered and approved it, thus
adopting the consolidation as prepared, and not dis-
cussing it in detail. The debate of some hundred
clauses of a code, in a house of some hundred mem-
bers, comprising lawyers in sit her kind, barrister and
attorney, recorders of boroughs, corporations, jus-
tices giving ear to town clerks, chairmen of sessions
and other magistrates, connty gentlemen instructed
by their solicitors, bankers, and merchants with
sons at the bar, dilettante law reformers, presents
to the mind such a picture of endless proposal and
objection, cavil and comment, that the bare aspect
is enough to induce slumbers in the least somnolent,
er confuse and turn round the steadiest head. All
men are now agreed that the only question is, shall
there be a consolidation or not, parcel of and pi e-
liminary to a complete code or digest of the law ;
in other words, shall the Government of this coun-
try perform its high and imperative duty of bring-
ing the people under its rule acquainted with the
laws made to protect their rights, but also the laws
to which it .requires their obedience, enforcing that
obedience by the severest penalties. If the affirma-
tive answer is given, there can be only one manner
of working to frame the code. Whoever desires to
have it discussed in detail—that is the clauses,
merely stating what the existing law is, without
proposing any change—whoever insists upon dis-
cussing the diction adopted in framing these clauses
(for that is all) has a shorter and simpler mode of
declaring his opinion, or rather of declaring what
he means ; his real meaning is that there shall be
no consolidation, no digest, no code. It is to be
expected that the Department of Jurisprudence
will examine these two great subjects, a Depart-
ment of Justice and the consolidation of the law,
with the care which their paramount importance
so manifestly prescribes.
"At our first meeting, in 1857, the subject of
judicial statistics was brought under consideration
in the able and useful papers read by Mr. L. Leir ;
and, in consequence of the discussion which took
place, very considerable improvements were intro-
troduced into that department of the Treasury, so
that at our last Congress hopes were entertained of
such complete and regular information being afforded
as the annual report of the Minister of Justice pre-
sentseenmade
International
in that
Statistical di rec tci. onnn.g. r
eTs
sh e m
has
ebeeteinn g
heldo f theb in France. A most important step has since
un-
der the presidency of the Prince
opening address, marked bythe
ac-
curate information, and the
general Consort,
d
ability
sense,whose
the
which
distinguish all his Royal highness's
the hands of all our members. Havin g exertions,
been requested
to superintend the Judicial Department, and hav-
ing afterwards, in his Royal Highness's
absence,
presided at the general meeting, it was a great
satisfaction to find the
unanimous
adoption of the
plan which it became my duty to report, embody-
ing the resolutions in full detail upon the whole
subject ; and there was a strong recommendation,
unanimously passed, urging the Government to
appoint a permanent Statistical Commission. The
report has been presented to the House of Lords
(where, indeed, I had several years before brought
forward the resolutions which formed its ground-
work this year), and it is now among the printed
papers of the session. There were naturally pre-
sent at this International Congress eminent men
from various parts of the Continent, and in announ-
cing the assembly of the present meeting I took the
liberty of inviting those distinguished foreigners,
with whose presence I trust we are now honoured.
Among others was a negro gentleman of great re-
spectability and talents, Dr. Delaney, who had at-
tended different departments, and in his able
address had communicated useful information and
suggestions. When inviting him to this Congress
I informed him that he would have the satisfaction
of visiting the country which first declared a slave
free the instant he touches British nor
around. Dr.
Delaney's forefathers were African slaves ; he is
himself a native of Canada. It is truly painful to
reflect that, although his family has been free for
generations, his origin being traced to one whom
the crimes of white men and Christians had en-
slaved, he would be, in the land of transatlantic
liberty, incapable of enjoying any civil rights
whatever, and would be treated in all respects as
an alien, the iniquity of the fathers being inexo-

rably visited, not upon their children, but upon the
children of their victims to all generations—chil-
dren whose only offence is the sufferings of their
parents, whose wrongs they inherit with their hue.
" Connected with statistics is a subject which
occupied our Sanitaiy Department last year—the
defects in our public records of sickness and mor-
tality—and the valuable papers of Mr. Kemsey
gave rise to much discussion. The Council appointed
a committee to investigate the question, and re-
solutions were agreed to, on which a communica-
tion was opened with the Government. There can
be no doubt that the present system will receive
extension and improvement. Unfortunately, as
much cannot be said respecting the report of
another committee named by the Council on the
defects of the Census of 1851, and their
valuable suggestions for its improvement in
1861. These were kindly received by the
Government, and attention to them was
promised ; but the Act as passed does not
provide for any material improvement. On one
matter there can really be no doubt ; the returns
for the three kingdoms ought on every account to
be made uniform. It is to be hoped that the suc-
cess of the National Congress may lead to a still
more important international assemblage on the
assimilation of commere'al law. On this great
subject Mr. L. Leir's lectures delivered both here
and in Edinburgh, as well as in Loudon and Bir-
mingham, contain the most valuable information
1 and suggestions. It has been deemed advisable to
take so large and difficult a subject piecemeal ; a
beginning is made with statistics, and the Council,
as will afterwards be stated, has broached that of
uniform general averages.
"The subject not to be surpassed in importance,
the employment of educated women, was discussed
at the last congress, and a society was soon after
formed for promoting it. Lest Easter it became
connected with this association; and the laudable
exertions of Miss Bessie Parkes, whose interesting
paper had mainly led to its formation, and of Miss
Faithful and other fellow-labourers in this good
work have already been attended with marked suc-
cess. Several. papers upon various views of the sub-
ject will be read at this meeting. It may now only
further be stated that the meeting he'd in last June,
presided over by Lord Shaftesbury, wes very
numerously attended. The great object of find-
ing employment suitable to educated women
was fully considered, and our secretary, Mr.
Hastings, took a prominent and useful part in the
discussion. Among other occupations law-
engrossing, book-keeping, and printing may be
mentioned as well fitted for educated women. The
printing press. conducted under Miss Faithful's
superintendence, hes just been eminently success-
ful, and since the meeting in June has received
the high sanction of the Queen's approval, signified
1 in a gracious letter by her Majesty's commands.
It is very gratifying to find that the experience of
this press has removed most, if not all., the objec-
tions which were at first raised ageinst the plan.
It is fit to add that the energy, perseverance, and
discretion of Miss Faithful have mainly contributed
to this happy result.
"The subject of trades' societies and strikes en-
gaged much attention at the last meeting on the
discussion of the preliminary report of a special
committee appointed by the council, and of very
able and interesting papers presented by Messrs.
liratts, Plummer, Ross, and others. The committee.
has now concluded its labours, and the final report,
with a large volume of papers, contributed by dif-
ferent members, has been printed, and will be pub-
lished here. A very interesting discussion may
be expected upon the whole subject ; and this
country is peculiarly suited to the calm and dis-
passionate consideration of it, because happily
little of the mischief which has befallen England,
from the differences between workmen and masters,
hes afflicted Scotland.
"It is to be hoped that within either the sani-
tary:or the 7generalidepartment the subject may
be allowed to fall of the great f:equercy of fatal
accidents lately to be deplored. Those on railways
really urgently demand attention, and their causes
cannot be fully investigated without the sugges-
tion of some preventive. It is remarkable that the
evil is confined to Great Britain. In France the
greater discipline and more careful administration,
even more than the lesser speed and the want of
excursion trains, is probably the reason that grave
accidents there are all but unknown. The other
class of injury to persons, often fatal, is that of
careless or foolhardy and adventurous travellers
being severely hurt, orien losing their lives in
attempts to climb or descend dangerous passes, in
neglect or defiance of their guide's advice. The
misery thus inflicted on families and the public in-
jury thus occasioned should be impressed upon
men's minds, and the guilt incurred by their care-
lessness or obstinacy. A life thus thrown away is
by self-slaughter, not self-murder; and the crime
bears the same relation to suicide that manslaugh-
ter does to murder.
" It may be recollected that at Bradford a very
important discussion arose in a branch meeting,
over which I had the honour to preside, upon the
question of direct or indirect taxation, and I pre-
sented a report describing the diversity of opinion
which prevailed on the general subject, but stating
the conclusion at which we had, with great unani-
mity, arrived in favour of repealing the numerous
duties so oppressive to trade and so unproductive
of revenue. In consequence of the Bradford discus-
sion a special committee was appointed by the Coun-
cil, and will report at this Congress ; but its report
will be confined to a statement of the conflicting
opinions held embodied in two short papers—one
by Mr. Newmarch, the well-known statist ; the
other by our secretary, Mr. Hastings. The Com-
mittee expressly declined propounding any opinion
of their own, thinking that the question requires
more careful investigation and more dispassionate
discussion than it has hitherto received. Our asso-
ciation, standing aloof from political parties and
class interests, and viewing the subject as a problem
of science to be solved with prejudice or passion, is
the fittest place for such a discussion.
" Social science is not confined to our country,
and it is a duty, as well as a gratification, to observe
its progress in other nations. Unhappily, the num-
ber is small of European States in which a popular
Government affords the security of measures being
proposed by the rulers calculated to benefit the
people as well as themselves. But the diffusion of
knowledge has made so manifest the tendency of
an enlightened policy to promote the interests of
the community, and thus in the result to serve the
Government also, that the attention of absolute So-
vereigns has been drawn, if not driven, to such
courses as must increase the wealth of their sub-
jects, and consequently their oam resources, and
might also promote the comforts of the people,
for which they probably cared little, unless as
tending to preserve order and quiet without the
control of force. Such Sovereigns, too, have
facilities for making and moulding laws, and
effecting changes in the institutions, as well as the
policy of the State—facilities which made the
French sect, the (Economists, prefer what they
termed a legal despotism to a popular form of
Government, and made even Bentham regard
such a system with envy, when pressed by the dif-
ficulty of carrying forward his plans for the im-
provement of our jurisprudence. It is unnecessary
to dwell on the grossness of the delusion arising
from such one-sided views of the subject; but we
may admit that some compensation is thus afforded
by despotism for its great and various evils.
" Mightily must the cultivators of social science
rejoice, in such noble conduct of the absolute Sove-
reigns to whom the fortunes of so vast a portion of
the world are entrusted, and full well know that
their cause mainly rests upon the preservation of
peace abroad and the maintenance of order at home.
Well may they apply to social science the Roman
orator's words, spoken of his own art, for truly she
is the offspring of peace, and by a greater than the
Roman charity gratefuliy gives her pious support
to her parent. Let ns not fear danger to this first
of blessings from any quarter, by the pursuit of
warlike glory, guilty, and as senseless as guilty,
among any of our neighbours. An eminent politi-
cal economist at our last congress declared that he
only dreaded the arts of the fiend enemy of man-
kind, tempting his countrymen with a laurel, in-
stead of the apple with which he deceived our first
parents. But it is edifying to observe the same
person now anrouncing his entire confidence in the
pacific tendency of that enlightened policy to which
he has so greatly contributed. In his hopes we
must altogether share ; in the great part of his con-
fidence also. But it is no mark of mistrust in
others that we trust ourselves more; and we must
all heartily rejoice in the spirit of determination
to be well prepared which the country universally
shows. Let us also rejoice in the training to which
it has given rise. As a mere sanitary measure this
association has a right to own it and highly to es-
timate its value. But on far more lofty grounds
we are bound to exult in it, for it is the pledge of
peace. Here, above all places, such feelings are
natural and appropriate. We are in the land- sanc-
tified by the struggles of religion, and renowned
for supporting her sister, Freedom, in the worst of
times. Here the martyrs of the cause swore to the
Covenant "by the name of the Lord their God"—
here, in the next age, the rebels against civil and
religious liberty encountered the stoutest resistance
—here, in yet later times, was begun the arming of
the people for defence of the realm. Is it wonder-
ful that attachment to religious and civil rights
tshheomul,dwkitihndhleeatrhteansd ame fire of patriotism, and in
the same bosoms ? Those treasures which men
prize the most dearly are nearest their hearts Land
hand,
they will defend."

Lord Henry Bentinek will shortly leave his
shooting box in the Highlands for the south to oommenos
the hunting season.

A DINNER IN MOSCOW.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE lIMEg.
• Sir,—Some time ago the question of how to dine
was ventilated in7your columns, and many opinions
were expressed thereon. The form of dinner known
among us as diner a la Russe was referred to, the
term implying but little more than that the dishes
should be brought on successively, and not, as
was usually done, en masse. I send you an account
of a dinner which was lately arranged by a few
Russian gourmets for the special purpose of showing
two Englishmen how one can dine in " Moscow the
superb," and which dinner necessarily involves tout
ce qu'il ya de plus Russe. If you should think it
worth insertion, it may be interesting to some of
your former writers and readers on the subject..
I would premise that the hospitality and warm.
heartedness of the Russians is unbounded. The
coldness of manner which marked their conduct to
us at the time of the coronation, as compared with
their behaviour to the French, has completely passed
away. They now look with distrust on the future
destiny of France, and they certainly draw closer
to us. All ill-feeling having disappeared, Moscow
society—with, I am told, one, perhan", natural ex-
ception—is willing to receive any English gentle-
man with open arms. Hence we have had several
opportunities of examining their dinners, both in
public and private. A mixture of 17 'each or Eng-
lish usage has been generally observable, but some
gentlemen, members of the club here (to which we
have been admitted), having heard that we were
somewhat of connoisseurs in the matter, determined
we should have a dinner purely Russian. Accord-
ingly the event came off yesterday, and is worth
recording.
It was arranged that the dinner should take place
et Samareera's, the justly celebrated restaurant,
and I was to have no voice in the matter, but aban-
don myself to being taught, instead of teaching. It
was also arranged that the hour should be half-past
5 o'clock. The usual hour is 2,3, or 4, but it was
rightly thought that M. Samareena would be more
free at a later hour and better able to bring the
whole power of his establishment to bear on the
important point of rivalling the cuisine of England
or of France.
At 3 o'clock we were conducted to a Russian bath,
a long and intricate, but delicious operation. The
day was Wednesday, and therefore a jour maigre.
On that day, as well on Saturday in every week,
the poor are not only not allowed to eat, but they
are not even permitted to bathe ! The rich, of course,
can bathe and dine. Accordingly we bathed, and,
having been duly flogged all over with laurestina
boughs, with every leaf steeped in perfume—a most
wonderful promoter of appetite—we were enveloped
in linen, and, reclining on sofas, were served with
quass and lampopo. The quass is a beverage formed
of rye flour. The lampopo is an invention of the
poct Pucksin, composed of beer, black bread, spices,
and citrons cut in two. Each half of these latter is
called popolam, which repeated frequently gives
lampopo. The object sought is to assist in cooling
the skin after the violent perspiration caused by
the flogging and the bath.
At 5 o'clock we had dressed, and arrived at Sama-
reena's. We were ushered into two private apart-
ments overlooking the Palace gardens, and opposite
to that rare combination of coloured towers, palaces,
cupolas, and domes forming the raised plateau of
the Kremlin. We seated ourselves on the divans by
the open windows, and after a few minutes, and ex-
actly 15 minutes before dinner, two trays were car-
ried roand, the one bearing bread, butter, caviare,
and very small salt cucumbers; the other vodka and
fruit and cumin d'allasch. he former of these is
the native brandy of the country made into liqueur
by the mixture of fruit. The latter is a fire-rate
liqueur not unlike maraschino with a delicate flavour
of caraway seeds. The bread is very white and fine,
and particularly light. Everybody took a small
piece of bread, about two mouthfuls, buttered it
from the tray, placed on it a small piece of caviare,
cut open a cucumber, took a slice from the centre,
placed that on the caviare, and ate the whole in his
fingers. A small liqueur glass from the second tray
accompanied this. You are then supposed to have
brought your frame into a state fit for dining.
These trays were brought in by two servants,
who, together with those who waited at dinner,
were so unlike anything we have in Western Europe
that the eye of the fore•gner rests far more on them
than on the contents of their trays. They were,
of course, in petticoats,like nice out of ten ordinary
men in Russia, but not only the petticoats, but the
bodices also, the latter fitting close round the neck,
the former hanging to the feet, were of a pure white,
with a white sash tied twice round the waist, and
hanging down at the side. Of course, it looks very
clean, and answers the first great purpose in ser-
vants.
At half-past 5 to a minute we seated ourselves,
and dinner was served. As we took our seats, and
the landlord, followed by half a dozen white slaves,
appeared with the first dish, unseen music arose.
Tnis proceeded from a gigantic organ let into the
wall of 'the adjoining room, which with its machi-
nery imitates every instrument of the orchestra
from the drum to the fiddle, and can play no less
than the best part of a dozen operas. It is the
work -of a Russian, and cost 40,000 f. The first
air it played was the Kamarinsky, composed by
Glinka, combining all the Russian national dances,
at each variation of which every Russian becomes
almost frantic, and wants to stand up and jump
about. The excitement caused by this lively air
at public places of amusement is astonishing.
Our first dish was rastiagai—open pates of a
small trout from•the inland lakes (the best are at
Valdai), the fish being cut very fine, and lying in
the pate in a White sauce not unlike veloute, only
not so delicate. These were cut up by the host
before us, in manner known all over Russia, the
action of the knife not only cutting the pate, but
turning it on the plate ready for the next cut. One
pate thus cut and very hot was placed before each
guest.
When every one had eaten half his pate the p
with the remainder was removed to his side, and
there was placed before him a soup-plate filled with
what is to a Russ the greatest and most expensive
luxury of his country; This is ouha (I write as it
is pronounced) of sterlite and nalime. The steriite
is more like a small sturgeon than anythins, else,
and if from the Kama river is much prized and pro-
portionably dear. The nalime is the eel-pout, a
very rich and delicate fish. The stock of the soup
is formed from pounded parts of these fish, which
are then strained off. An entire sterlite (nearly a
yard long) will only make soup enough for half a
dozen people. The strength of the fish turns the
liquid almost yellow, and the very sight of it gives
you an idea of amazing richness. Two small por-
tions from the thin side of the sterlite, and one long
bit of the nalime, are floating in each plate of soup,
and when the skin is removed from the former the
delicate pink flesh below combining with the yel-
low soup produces a mixture to gratify the eye
and the taste of a Savarin of any nation. You are
to eat your soup in conjunction with the remaining
pate by your side.
The next dish was between a Mayonnaise and
chicken cutlets, with a creamy substance like a
paste over the whole, and mixed up with sliced
apples, gherkins, plums, almonds—a decidedly naive
mixture of many good things,
This was succeeded by beef pique and stewed in
slices, each slice being an enormous hunch of lean
and fat, accompanied by a 13auce which, expe-
rienced as I am, not only utterly defied all my
powers of divination, but paved even beyond my
attempt at comprehension in English, French, or
German, the main elements being so purely. Rus-
sian that no recognised term appears to exist for
them elsewhere. Suffice it to say that one ingre-
dient in the compound is preserved hips and haws,
and another the wild ash berry, with us generally
believed to be poison, while a third must be mainly
used as a medicine, the host gravely informing us
that it was very good in cases of cholera, besides
which I much doubt, even were I able to give you
the receipt in extenso, whether any one on earth
would ever try it.
The next dish we had was one perfect in its
kind, but sadly misplaced in order—artichaux aux
champignons, the whole interior of the artichoke
being stuffed with mushrooms which had lain in
fried butter so long that you were hardly conscious,
but for the taste, that you had anything in your
mouth. It was first-rate, but the cream-sauce was
a little too sweet—it destroyed the delicate combi-
nation of flavour of artichoke and mushroom.
The above was succeeded by a dish called bitok.
On the plate placed before you was a round and
flat dumpling of meat. The interior was composed
of veal, mutton, ham, and bacon, beat up with the
yolk of eggs, and chopped very fine, and made into
a flat mass in connection with stewed onions,
honey, vinegar, and capers ; the whoie surrounded
with fried potatoes, stoned olives, peas, and sliced
lemons.
Now one would think this was peculiar enough,
and I am afraid of boring your readers, but really
another dish was so remarkable and so unlike any-
thing as yet known to science, that you must have
it.
Take the dregs of several teapots, cut those tea
leaves up as fine as possible, mix them with
large quantities of pounded sugar; pound a dozen
salt cucumbers into a mash ; cut half a dozen
more into slices; make as strong soup lits
with
you can of these ingredients; then m
two quarts of quass, and when cold introduce
into it large lumps of ice ; and, after
er insert-
ing the tureen in a bedding of ice 11. a saucepan,
)
serve the whole (saucepan and a 1 as nearly
frozen as it can be made. This remarkably appro-
priate and delicate dish (being a pale green soup of
tea, guess, and iced cucumbers) is called batoinie,
sad delights many a Russian heart. into it on

the plate are introduced small square pieces of fish,
which is about the only thing wanted to make it
more incongruous than before. The Russians say
it is very refraichissant, which I undersiand to
mean that you can eat the more after it. To an
Englishman it seems like beginning dinner again,
and that in no pleasant form. It is a medieval
state of things, as in the reign of our Anne, where
soup came in as the fourth course.
There followed after this roasted ryabehicks,
with broccoli and cherries preserved in their juice.
The- ryabchick is a bird peceliar to Russia, a little
larger than our partridge, and like it in flavour,
and, when kept long enough, very delicate, white,
and good.
This was succeeded by raspberries and cream—
and a sort of Idancmange-yele pique with straw-
berries; and the whole wound up with a selection
of preserves, preserved stalks of lettuces, candied
oranges ia slices, preserved rind of melon, and pre-
served rose leaves!
The wines were Sherry, Medoc, then a richer
Bordeaux, Port wine, Burgundy, cherry brandy,
and (after dinner) Champagne.
Now, to a connoisseur in these matters many
things will present themselves as not strictly
secundum artern ; but still, if you omit the Batoinie,
and the order of the other dishes be somewhat
changed, you would have a first-rate composition,
and, even as it was, it was an excellent dinner.
The great principle of building up until you come
to the severest dish, and then down again until you
come to the entreerets, is lost sight of. The arti-
chokes coming in where they did is a great mis-
take, but this is a common error both in Germany
and Russia. I dined the other day at a general's,
a short distance out of Moscow, where the same
thing occurred. It was, however, the only mistake
in the course of a long and elaborate dinner.
Again, some of the mixtures were incongruous
to British tastes ; but the truth is, that taste changes
with climate, as any one may learn who tastes iced
salt cucumbers on first arriving in Russia, and is
amazed at the avidity with which he will eat them
a fortnight after. Every smoker knows that Tur-
kish tobacco is not the same in London as at Con-
stantinople, and that the best English cigars have
not the same flavour in the East. Hence let none
deem harshly of the above dinner till he has lived
a month at Moscow and eaten the same.
This remark, however, does not apply with equal
force to the junction of wine with food. Port wine
with the entrees of a dinner (except in sauce) is an
equal fallacy from pole to pole; and when wil even
France in particular, and Europe generally, learn
from England that champagne should be drunk
with roast meat, and not be introduced as an incu-
bus after dinner ? The cherry brandy was first rate ;
I tasted some at another dinner in Moscow the
other day which was bought at Lord Granville's
sale in 1856. It was very good, but a Rassian
sample by its side was infinitely better.
The main fault of Russian dinners is that they
place before you too much of each dish. Your plate-
fal is that of a giant. A little of each plat, and
that little good, is one great secret of dining; but
this the Russians will soon alter. They call them-
selves a new country, but, despite our antiquity, I
should be puzzled to go to any public place in Lon-
don (other than large hotels) and order, among
dishes peculiar to England, a dinner that would
rival that of the Moscow Philippe. I have dined
at the club here—they have a first rate chef—and
modified as the tastes are by forms brought from
Paris (for they seem to think that except in roast-
ing we know nothing about it in England), the
dinners are excellent. Apart, however, from this,
Russian cookery is not inferior to the general
cuisine of other countries, and above all, I see ele-
ments of invention among them, the grand deside-
ratum which will soon make them formidable rivals
anywhere.
Our evening closed with two more specialites—
one was drinking yellow tea, at 365. a pound, in a
tumbler, with a slice of citron (in lieu of milk) float-
ing in each glass. The want of milk in the Crimea,
was loudly deplored by those who were not fortu-
nate enough to have a goat. It might have been
compensated by a few lemons, if any one had sug-
gested the change, for the roughness of the tea is
quite removed, and its taste, especially when smok-
ing, is better than with milk. The other specialite
was hearing the so called Bohemian girls sing.
These are the Russian gypsies, but as any one will
remember who has read Borrow's account of them,
the sphere to which they have attained in Moscow
is so far above that in which the remainder of their
race pass their lives that it may be considered a
phenomenon in gypsy history. This exalted sphere
is attributable to the simple power of song, for
they have no- education and are infinitely too in-
dolent to learn ; neither would the personal at-
tractions of a few among them keep the mass where
they are. Their songs are in Russ, but in a dialect
of their own. They are profusely intermingled
with shrieks, which, though harsh to a foreigner,
seem most captivating to a Russian. The novelty,
however, of their peculiarities was only on a par
with all we had been experiencing for many hours;
and when I now calmly recall the entire day the
conclusio❑ I can arrive at is, that however 'diffe-
rent from all we are accustomed to, Moscow is a
most enjoyable place, and that every Englishman
who has the time, like Caesar, should " Come and
see aud—taste."—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
Nicolaisky-street- Moscow, Sept. 13. G. H. M.
P.S.—I would only add a thing that surprised
me much. The whole conversation during dinner
(other than such parte as related to the art of dining)
was on English modern works of fiction, and each
one of our hosts was as thoroughly au courant of
every novel, from those of Walter Scott down to
Adam Bede, as if he was not or ly an English gen-
. tleman, but a literary one. Such works and many
others are translated into several Russian papers
directly they come out, and the club here takes in
no loss than 33 Russian papers, 14 in French (be-
sides German), and five in English, The Times and
Punch being two, and a New York paper a third.
,ate

CURIOUS EFFEOIB OF LIGHTNING.

We mentioned some time ago that a woman, hav-
ing taken refuge from a storm under the door of a
mill at Lappion, Aisne, was thrown down by a stroke
of lightning, but received no further injury, except
that the figure of a tree ha-d by was found per-
fectly impressed upon her back, so that the trunk
branches, and leaves were minutely distinguish-
able, the impression being of a reddish tint. Cases
of a similar description have been several times
recorded. Franklin, for instance, relates that while
a man was standing at the door of his house a tree
opposite to him was struck with lightning, and he
received the impression of that tree on his breast.
M. Orioli, who was professor of Natural Philosophy,
at Bologna in 1831, at the time the Italian revolu-
tion broke out, in which he took a prominent part,
related a like occurrence at the Scientific Congress
of Naples in 1846; a lady of the name of Morosa,
at Lugano, was sitting near a window during a
storm, when she experienced a violent commotion,
and soon became aware that the figure of a flower
which stood near her at the time was impressed on
one of her legs, a mark which she retained to her
dying day. In Sept., 1825, a brigantine was struck
with lightning while at anchor in the Bay of Armiro
in the Adi iatic ; one of the sailors was killed, and
the figure of a horse-shoe which was nailed to the
foremast, according to the custom of sailors in those
part 3, was found distinctly delineated on his hip.
A similar case is recorded of another brigantine at
Zante, where a sailor was also killed, and was
found marked with the number 44, the very same
in size as that cut out in metal, which was nailed
to some part of the vessel. On the 9th of Octo-
ber, 1836, a young man named Politi was killed by
lightning at Zante. Upon examination the exact
impressions of six pieces of gold which he had in
his belt were found on his shoulder. In 1841, in
the department of Indre-et-Loire, two persons
placed themselves under a poplar during a storm.
The tree was struck, and both individuals were
marked with the impression of a leaf of the poplar.
M. Figuier, who enumerates these cases in an article
of his in the Presse, endeavours to explain the phe-
nomenon by supposing that the electric fluid, in
siriking a body, carries off with it some particles of
the same, which in their progress retain the same
outline, and being in a state of ignition, impress it
on any other combustible body they may meet on
their way. It is scarcely safe to reject an expla-
nation without offering a better one ; still we might
ask how the woman of Lappion received the im-
pression on her back through henr
itenhloeathsbheesol,tulwdw ehorircnh
, of
are not stated to have been burnt through • and
cceosuolfdlreneycontainedimpressed
o
We are evidently as yet in want of
rmePirein.:formation regarding this curious phe-
nomenon, sufficient
ewearer.
thet
eh taei
which appears to us well worthy of being
further inquired into. •

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nausea, epilepsy, paralysis, debility, nervousness, Palpitation,
cough, asthma, consumption, dropsy, flatulency, diarrhoea,
dysentery, biliousness, fevers, sore throats, catarrhs, colds
noises in the ears, rheumatism, gout, impurities: eruptions,
pal Pi.
,
s hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleeplesane"' acidity,
tation, heartburn, headache, despondency, cramps, sPas
Sinking, fits. renChitiS."Unquestionably the safest Uuide
to health."

__its__ •
We do not anticipate a much longer popu.larity
for
ftaeirni teohsu7ess
several
vr
eFrenchirnarla
ofmo
wui
infamous
oipne
hr- ce amdseed may
ye s
be
oe slapsr
seen
eet
hntehr
oafitntoiant;
gehri
ognt
bhtaehit, r;
muddy waters of the Medway. Our authorities
were polite enough, and, they must allow us to)
say, stupid enough to accept the French designs in'
that case in all their integrity, and we may esteem
it a piece of great good fortune that they were not
frightened itto aioieP A h
secondr servile imitation.
What
wooden frigate,
covered from stem to stern with thick iron plates,
as a protection to a battery of 36 guns, and pro-
puled by engines of 900 nominal horse power
(English), at an average rate of between 12 end 13
knots. English shipbuilders have predicted that,
with such enormous weights at the extremities, she
would behave badly in a sea. Nothing corrobora-
tire of this has reached us at present ; time will,
however, we are disposed to think, prove the cor-
rectness of their view. It was partly on account
of this suspicion that Mr. Scott Russell's idea of
making the ship of iron, and covering only the
central part with armour, was viewed with such
favour in England. Our iron ships will, however,
possess this great advantage over, the French, viz.,
that the permanence of our costly structure will
nut depend on the duration of perishable timber ma-
teriabut excepting the accidents of storm and
will be as durable as iron itself.
But is it true that such a ship as this could, "of
battl
e is
itself confrOn.:- a whole steam fleet ?" In the first
place, the moat vital part of all steam ships—the
propeller—is as vOnerable in the Gloire as in any
other ship ; this dik.,abled, her armour could only
embarrass, without do fending her. And further,
in what respect would the armour tend to prevent
her being carried by hoo'ding—by storm, as it
were ? Evidently in no ren.'
ect ; the necessity for
making the spar-deck shell-pre
)f, and therefore for
reducing the hatchways as mnc.l as possible, to-
gether with the want of accommodation for marks-
men on the decks or in the rigging, would render
her capture by this means comparatively easy, so.
long as escape by flight were impracticable by de-
fect in speed, want of fuel, or injury to the pro-
peller. 'Without high speed this class of ship must
fail, and it is not difficult to foresee that the smaller
class of iron-cased ships building for our Govern-
ment will come to grief on this account.
It is plain, then, that these ships are more -vul-
nerable than the French people allow themselves
to believe ; arid we strongly suspect that when they
come to count ,he cost, they will find that iron-
cased ships, and especially wooden ones, are not in
any sense the mast economical machines of war.
We are, however,
very pleased to find that the sur-
plus energy and re-venues of the French Govern-
ment ale expended iti making experiments which
will be as useful to us .as to them. They have not
only set themselves to work out the problem, the
elements of which are en.
ibodied in La Gloire, but
they are making an atten.lpt to discover a better
form for a " floating battery," i.e., an iron-cased
vessel with a shallow draught of water and of low
speed, calculated for attacking the sea front of for-
tresses. These vessels, three or four of which must
now be nearly complete, are sh orter and shallower,
but broader than the origins' floating batteries,
that the battery platform may bo steadier. They
k
have, moreover, twice the engine-power, and may
ti
therefore be expected to have a speed of nearly six
knots instead of four and a half, which was all
that could ever be got out of the battt,'ries of the
Glatton and Trusty models. One remark able fea-
ture in their construction is, that althouoh they
carry a battery of 24 heavy guns under shel.l-proof
cover, they do not show more than eight feet. Put of
water.
These vessels, and others for transport service, of
an entirely novel construction, are being built with
considerable secrecy, and probably we shall never
know exactly what they are like until some un-
happy rupture with their owners places us at
liberty to examine them at pleasure. We shall,
however, learn enough of their nature and quali-
ties from newspape"s and other sources to enable
us to see what to choose and what to avoid of the
different varieties or maritime constructions with
1 which it is the Imperial pleasure to indulge itself.—
Mechanics' Magazine.

LOUNTRY MARKETS.

COLCHESTER. -SEPT. 22.

-- -
A moderate supply of new wheat to-day, quality and
condition very sow. A few dry temples were sold at rather
hitter prices. Some samples of new barley were sold at
prices from 33s to 44s per quarter. In other grain little
alt ration in value.
Wheat, white sos to 64s Beans, Maza,gan..4os to 42s
red 41s to 54s ! Middle & small 44s to 488
I
36s
to 42s Willie peas 3Bs to 4
BarleyQ,i
Oats 26s to 28s Grey, . 4O, to

CHELMSFO u

Many samples of new whea
to-day, most of it so much out
saleable, conscquentlythe old
at is to 2s advance. Spring
re tes. _ _

Wheat. white 47s to 6A 3
red n 6s to 62s
Barley 34s to 40s
Cheval4ef 3ss to 40s

ll - SEPT. 21.

A were brought into market
t of condition as to be scarcely
wheat'', are greatly in demand,
corn firm, and sold at late

Peas, Partridge 428 to 423
W hits 42s to 4EI
Boiling 42s to 4E3
Dun 378 to 403
Beans, Tick 39s to 453
Harrow Ticks 40s to 48a
llazagan 37s to ^2' -,

Grinumg 323 to 363
Dial-, 61s to 67s
Chevalier 6ls to 69s
Oats 253 to 303

STAMFORD—SEPT. 21.
A very good show of wheat at market to-day, for which
the trade was film for most samples, at an advance of is
to 2s per qr on last week. Barley rai,her dearer. Beans in
request, and oats were fi,rn at li_te rates.
Wheat 53s to 633 I Oats.. 26s to 3?4
White do 62s to 68s I Beans 43s to 50s
Barley 36s to 4's 1 Ditto, old ........46s to 50 4