The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-17 00:00:00

LONDON, SAf URDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 17, 1857.

NATIoNAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE
PROMOTION OF SOCIAL SOIANCE.

BIRMINGHAM, TIIIIRSDAY
Last ev,-.311;ng, the Mayor, (Mr. John natant')
ent-rattied at dinner about 200 guests-7,owosinen
and members of tha asiociation at DOe'd Royal
Hotel. Amr.ng thifie present were Lord Brougbin,
Lord J. RitAsell, Lord Ward, Earl T:albot, Lizrd
Calttiorpe, Lord S•auley, Lord Ingestre, Lord
Alfr,d Churchill, Sir J. Pakington, Mr. W. F.
Cowper, M.P., Sir Thomas Winniugton, M P., Sir
Charley Hastings, Mr. W. Scholefield, M. P., Mr.
C. B. Adderley, M.P., Mr. R. HmLury, M. P.,
Mr. Slaney, M.P., Mr. E. Akroyd, M.P.,
Sir B. Brodie, Dr. Livingstone' the Honourable
and Rev. G. M. Yorke, Dr. Playfair, Dr.
Begg, the the Recorder of Birmingham, the Rev.
Sydney Turner, Dr. Conolly, Mr. Arthur Helps,
Mr. G. Dawson, the Rev. Canon Miller, Mr. C.
H. Bracebri,lge, Mr. J. F. Winfield, Archdeacon
Sandford, &c.
. __ _

After the usual loyal toasts, the Mayor (who oc-
cupied the chair) gave " the Army and -Navy,"
which was received with special honour by those
present. _ _ _

- Colonel GORDON and Earl TALBOT acknowledged
the toast. The mention of Geueral Havelock's
name by the noble earl was followed by a burst of
cheering.
The MAYOR gave, " L-Ird Brougham and the
National Association for the Advancement of So-
cial Science."

Lord BROUGAAM said,—Allow me to tender my
very best andheartiest thanks, first to you Mr. Mayo r,
for the kind hospitality with which you have re-
ceived me here to-day next, for the kind mention
of the association which you have been pleased to
make in giving this toast ; and then to return my
grat(dul thanks to this large and most respectable
company for the manner in which they have been
pleased to receive that proposal. We owe to you,
Mr. Mayor, and to this great town the signal ad-
vantage of laying our new institution originated in
the capital of the midland counties—the renowned
capital of one of the two great branches of British
industry, illustratedstill more, permit me to add, by
having been the residence and the seat of the disco-
veries and inventions of some of the greatest benefac-
tors of mankind, who have gained for themselves im-
mortal fame and shed ever enduring blessings upon
their countryand their kind by their prodigious dis-
coveries in science and inventions in the arts. Let
me only add my fervent hope, as well as confident
expectation, that the fame of this great mass of art,
of science, of manufacture 4, may be yet further ex-
tended by the progress which we shall see made in
those sciences in which humanity has the nearest
and the dearest interest in consequence of the
foundation which you have allowed us here to lay
of this association. (Loud cheers.)

"The House of Lords" was Proposod by Mr.
COWPER, M.P., and responded to by Lord WARD.
Sir B. BRODIE proposed " The Hons) of Com-
mons," coupling watt the toast the name of Lord
John Russell.

Lord J. RussEe—l beg leave to return thanks
in the name of the House of Commons for the
honour you have just done it. It may seem
that the House of Commons is not very the-
rouehly associated with the pursuit of social
science, because it so happens that that
House in the discharge of its many functions and
labours usually devotes the early part of its sittings
to the consideration of the expenditure of the State,
the taxes which it is necessary to maintain and im-
pose, and to various other matters, some of them
of them of no great consequence, while it is not un-
til the weather is growing hot and men's attention
is pretty well exhausted that we find time to attend
to questions of social science. (Hear, hear, and
laughter.) That has been the case, I am afraid, for
many years past. I hope that it will not continue
for manyyeat s to come, but that some better arrange-
ment will be made for transacting the business of
the House of Commons. But, gentlemen, in speak-
ing for the House of Commons at the present
time, you may permit me to glance, and to
glance only, at what may be their occupation in the
next session. I trust it will not be their occupa-
tion to find the means, either in the shape of men
or money, for putting au end to the mutiny in
India. (Hear, hear.) The House of Commons has
shown its readiness to pass any vote, whether for
men or for money, for that purpose; but I trust
that by the month of January or of February,
when Parliament will meet again, we shall have
the assurance that that sanguinary mutiny and
rebellion has been entirely suppressed. (Cheers.)
I think that those gallant men who have been
mentioned to-night by Earl Talbot—Havelock,
Nicholson, Neill—will but need as reinforcements
those troops which are already pouring in both
from our colonies and from the United King-
dom, to enable them entirely to supple as the
revolt of those who, even at present, with all
the advantage of surprise, with alt the advantages
of tenfold numbers, have been totally unable to
meet British soldiers in the field. (Loud cheers.)
Trusting, them we shall hear that the mutiny has
been suppressed, I trust we shall likewise hear that
justice has been done. For, gentlemen, I am not
ashamed to say that, as when I hear of a single
murder in this country—and unhappily, they are
too frequently heard of when I hear of the
murder of a man, a woman, or a child, I entertain
no vindictive spirit, but at the siwe time desire
that the murderer may be brought to justice and
made to atone for his crime ; so likewise when
I hear of murders of unexampled atrocity and
magnitude I wish to see the murderers of hundreds
adequately punished. (Cheers.) Let us reflect
that there has been no extenuation for these crimes
—crimes as great as human nature is capable of
committing ; indeed, a few weeks ago I should
have said " crimes which human nature is incapable
of committing." (Hear.) At the same time it is
my hope, and no doubt the hope of all of us, that
justice will be performed with discrimination. For
instance, one account which I saw mentions a guerd
of Sepoys who had protected our officers and their
wives for a certain distance' and then left them in a
safe place to join the re' els. They should not be
treated in the same way as the murderers I have
spoken of ; but I feel sure—such is the sentiment
of British soldiers, such is the sentiment of the
British nation we may trust that, great as the
provocation has been, no more than justice will be
performed. (Hear) If, therefore, gentlemen, We
shall have heard that the mutiny has been sup-
pressed and justice has been done, we shall sJII have
a great task before us, a task which it will be for us
by and by to consider, which it will be impossible to
anticipate now, and which it would be unwise to
anticipate if it were possible to do so—namely,
the consideration of what inqniry should be made as
to the past, and in what way the government of
India should be modified for the future. In regard
to that last question, I have already said all that it
is possible to say now; but this, I must confess,
weighs upon my mind :—I think it is a humiliating
reflection that a hundred years after the victory of
Plessey those whom we have ruled and whom we
no doubt wished to civilise—for I believe there
never was a Government more benevolent in its in-
tentions than the Government of India—should be
found with hearts so inhuman and dispositions so
savage. Let us hope that, if the government of India
is entrusted to us by au Almighty Providence, the
results of that government may be more satisfacterj,
and that under our rule these 200,000,000 people
will be brought to know thoroughly what is the re-
ligion we profess, and what is the degree of civilisa-
tion t) which we have attained. (Hear, hear.) It
only now remains for me to thank the Mayor and
other gentlemen for the reception they have given
to the association which has met here. I do
trust that great amendments in the law, with great
Kicia! progress, may arise out of it. At all events,
it will be a satisfaction to those who belong to this
association to have inaugurated it under the au-
spices of one who from the commencement of his
political life has exhibited such proofs of his regard
for the welfare of the people. (Cheers.) So far I
have spoken for the House of Commons and this
aesociation. You will, perhaps, permit me to make
only this remark regarding myself am very
sensitive that the compliments you have paid me
are far higher than I iu any way deserve, but I will
say that those opinions in favour of liberty and pro-
gress which are attributed to me have not only not
been modified, but have been strengthened in after
life. (Cheers.)
Lord BROUGHAM proposed the health of the
Mayor, and spoke warmly of his munificent hospi-
tality, and the countenance and support which he
had given to the association.
The MAYOR having acknowledged the compliment,
interest _Mr. ARTHUR HELPS (in the absence of Sir F.
who was unable to be present owing to a rail-
way detention) proposed the health of the- Vice-
President, He
twas
upon
one of those
part
of social
who looked
science
which was likely to
with
especial the he
promote the interests of the
peer. Pride of birth was very common among
Englishmen,
rather be a very
and, for himself he owed that he had
land than a first-rainteed/ii totce rrea
tme,uarn
ionf
al eftot
re
or
isg intr
lEa
nn gd
He feared, however, when he sometimes looked at
the wretched blocks of houses in large towne, that

the working classes had not an equal reason to re-
joice in their native land, and that they did not
-
share fairly in the social blessimts which the coun-
try at large enjoy d. (Lie Ir.) •This inequality, he
{rusted, would be one. ot' the liViuurs of the new
ais,o&atiou to renalk e. (Lieu-.)
The RECORDER 4 Birmingham (Mr. M. D. Hill)
ackn -iwledgsd the toast, a.d in tile name of the
15),00;.) inhabit nits of ttle Mid an metropolis,
expres:e 1 a hope that science slid philanthropy,
aided in the assi4atlon whi •h had just been inau-
gurated, would never be divorced, and that fu-
Imre meetings would be r d dent of the Ulmo benefit
that hail attended the pre,r,eut Congres.
Mr. ADDERLEY. M.P., proposed" Lord Stanley
and the Vi.itors."
Lord STANLEY • Mid, with sincere and hearty
thanks, say that never did men • coming on any
errand of this kind meet wi,h a warmer and more
cordial reception. Some associations, like some
individuals, in aiming at more than they could at-
tain, accomplished nothing. Now, in seeking the
promotion of social science, he did not think they
should develope ideas which were absolutely new,
but they did hope todtffuseideas which were already
known to a few, but could not, fOr want of a wider
extension and appreciation, be practically applied
for the benefit of the classes whom they most con-
cerned.
means of
In India it often happened that the evils
of famine were, for the want of adequate
communication, felt in largo districts of country,
while others were exempt from these evils. In like
manner intellectual famine was often experienced
from the absence of proper opportunities for the in-
terchange of thought. This stare of things associa-
tions like the present were admirably calculated to
remove. Alluding to the town in which they
were assembled, he observed that from various cir-
cumstances he had always taken the warmest in-
terest in the great foci and centres of manufactur-
ing industry, and believed that their populations
enjoyed upon the whole the greatest degree both of
happiness and freedom of thought. In conclusion
he complimented the people of the manufacturing
districts upon their independent spirit—which ho
hoped would he preserved and cherished—in not
calling upon the Gjvernment to help them in any
matter in which they could help themselves.
Among the other toasts given were :—" The
Presidents of Department," proposed by Dr. Play-
fair, and responded to by Sir J. Pakingtou ;
"Success to the Town and Trade of Birmingham,"
proposed by the right hon. baronet ; "The Mem-
bers for the Borough and the Northern Division of
W. &hole-
fithee County,"
tiC;ou"nn ,0 Corporation
ngedof byilivirmringN•Nhram
;"
and
'The Local Secretaries, with the Secretaries of
Departments."

the school, since 1835, 48 college scholarships and
12 fellowships. The following scholarships and
prizes, open to the whole university, have been
I,,,;tiued by pupils of King Edward's Grammar School
since 1835 :—The- Craven scholarship, once ; the
Bettie scholarship,: once ; Belt's scholarship (limited
to, sDm of clergymen), four times ; the ChaneePo:'s
gold medals for classical learning—first medal, four
tines ; sscond trio lal, once ; members' 1)1123 for
best Lain essay, three times ; Norrisisn pr.z s fer
theological (ssiy, twice ; Brown's medal for Greek
ode, twice ; the Chancellor's gold modal for legal
studies, once in 1857, being the only occasion on
which it has been awarded ; moral philosophy prize,
once ; Ourn's Greek Testament prz>, founded in
1854, twice ; Schelefield prize for Biblical Greek,
once in 1857, the first year in which it was awarded.
The one student who went to Dublin was.a univer-
sity sch.;ar and priseman, senior m octsra or and
gold medallisl7. After remarking that of the subse-
queut career of the boys ire the English school, no
account could be given further than that thf-y pass ,c 1
out in due course to pursue the avocations for which
they were intended, the report says:—" Hitherto
there has been one great middle class of society who
are not destined for college. There is no definite
object set before them corresponding to the dis-
tinctions and rewards given them by the univorsi
ties. Then their studies want both stimulus and
guidance. We may hope that these will both be
supplied by the middle class examinations about to
be instituted by the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge. in regard to the elementary schools,
it may isuffice to say that they are frequented ohiefly
by the children of small tradesmen and respectable
artisans. The average age of the boys in the scho)l
is 11 years, and of the girls nearly 12 years. The
numerical difference bet ween the Established Church
and other religious denominations is less than in the
grammar schools, the proportion being only 21."

DEPARTMENT lII.—PUNISHMENT
AND REFORMATION.
SHORT IMPRISONMENTS.
After the reading of a paper, and some discus-
sion, in which it was urged that punishments for
offences should aim more at reformation than ven-
geance,
as
e a
an t
ianngd
placeN o r t h
feor nr
trau
ns ts
paol
riAraa wt ao su ret choem
Rev.me n d
Jed.
Field, chaplain of Reading Gaol, read a paper on
"Short Imprisonments as connected with the Cri-
minal Justice Act," in which he warmly contended
against the impolicy of short periods of imprison-
ment, considered with a viewito either the preven-
tion of crime or the amendment of the criminal,
and maintained that the new act, on which he ani-
madverted, was defective in principle and opera-
tion, and calculated in many instances to give the
offender Omost unconditional impunity. He had
found in Berkshire, the county with which he was
most familiar, that s'nce the Criminal Justice Act
came into force there had been three times the
number of second convictions that had previously
occurred within a corresponding period, the number
of such re convictions being relatively 12 per cent.
and 4 per cent.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS.
Mr. Sergeant WOOLRYCH read a paper, in which
he severely condemned the severe legislation in
the last century disgraced, in his opinion, the Eng-
lish statute-book, specially instancing, as au illus-
tration of its cruelty, the case of a poor woman hung
London for shoplifting. He eulogised the exer-
tions of Sir Samuel Rom illyin obtaining a revison of
that sanguinary code rernarkingthat at the:same time
those who advocated it did so less from cruelty than
ignorance. He then went on to contend that capital
punishment was only justifiable if it could be proved
that it was preventive of crime, which ho dented.
He would not refute statistics on the matter, be-
cause be deemed they vrere often fallacious, and
might be made to tell either one way or other to
suit the views of the party using them ; but at the
same time he believed it would be found that so far
as the crimes still punishable by death were con-
cerned, crime was as rife now as in 1840, 10 years
ago. He condetimed the gallows as a socid
nuisance, which, in-tend of protecting only in-
creased the injury to life. He contended further
that no system of punishment could ba good which
required a bribe to ba paid to the execut'oner who
carried it into effect; and, after adverting to the
continental custom of reprieving a prisoner who
made no sign of confession or repentance, de.lared
that capital punishment, as administered i.i Eng-
land, was calculated to destroy both the body and
soul of its victims.
In reply to a question from a gentleman present
the learned sergeant. said he should propose, as a
substitute, penal servitude for life.

DEPARTMENT IY.—PUBLIC HEALTH.
HEALTH OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS.
Dr. J. G. M' WILLIAM read a paper on the health
of waterguard and waterside officers of Customs
in London, for ten years ending on the 31st Dec.
last. The author of this paper, which was illus-
trated by a series of elaborate tables, commenced
by giving an account of the duties "afloat"
and " ashore" which were performed by the
water-guard and waterside officers of the Cus-
toms respectively. With regard to the tide-
waiters, it appears that they, besides being exposed
to every vicissitude of weather on board ship, and
often in open boats, by night as well as by day, oc-
casionally have to board ships, the cargoes of which
give out effluvia productive of inconvenience -and
even of disease. Among the unhealthy cargoes he
enumerated guano, hides, horns and bones, grain
in bulk, sulphur, turpentine, sugar in bags and
matting, rags, d7c. With respect to the wa'ermeu,
the most severe part of their duty is when they are
engaged in what is called steam duty, which re-
quires them to search minutely, or, as it is called,
"rummage" every part of steamers from the Con-
tineni-, with the view of detecting any concealment
of goods. To do this effectually, the watermen have
to creep, cat-like, over and behind the boilers, and
under and sometimes into the flues, while the fires
have been recently, it may be, only partially ex-
tinguishe 1. On a cold winter's day the transition
from the deck to the engine-room, and again from
the engine-room to the deck, under such circum-
stances, more nearly realised a rapid interchange of
tropical and arctic climate than anything else that
can be imagined. The officers of the waterside de-
partment, consisting of lockers, weighers, messen-
gers, and gatekeepers, are, in the performance of
their respective duties, also a good deal exposed, but
they have defined hours of employment, regular diet,
and other advantages not possessed by the water-
guard. From a table illustrative of the rata of sick-
ness in the two departments there were in the water-
guard, with an average strength of 740, 21 sick daily,
or at the ra' e 2,97 percent., while the annual average
of cases of sickness deducted from ten years was
722.7, and the average duration of each case 10.7 t
days. In the waterside department the statistics of
disease disclose the milder nature of the duty of
its officers ; for, with a strength of 498, the number
daily on the sick list was 5.97, equal to 1.06 per
cent., the annual number was 192.7, and the term
of each case 11.6 days. During ten years 94 water-
guard and 75 waterside officers were placed on the
superannuation list, the ratio being 1.4 per cent.
iu the waterguard. and 1.5 in the waterside ; but
the age at which superannuation took place was in
favoar of the latter department, the age of the
lockers averaging 67 years and service 33i years,
the weighers 58 years and service :shout 30 years,
while of 66 tidewaitors superannuated the average
age was 59.4 and service 32.2 ; of 17 watermen
placed ou the superannuation list the average age
was GO and of service 36 years ; and 11 constables
and watchmen also superannuated had attained an
average age of 60 and of service 36 years. Of the
total number (169) superannuated in the course of
ton years, 27 of the waterguard and 22 of the
waterside department had died before Dec., 31,
1857. Dividing the ten years into two quin-
quennial terms, the deaths iu the waterguard in
the first term was, in a strength of 692, from all
causes, including cholera and accidents, 62, or in a
ratio of 1.8 per cent. ; iu the latter term, with a
strength of 785, there were 43 deaths only, or at
the rate of 1 per cent., the diff, reuce in mortality
of the two terms being due mainly to the small
loss from cholera during 1854, compared with that
incurred by the epidemy of 1849. In the waterside
department the deaths were in the first term
30 in a mean strength of 492, or 1.2 per cent. ;
and in the latter term 32 in a mean wrength of 512,
equal to 1.2 per cent. ; as in the first term, the death
rate in thetwo terms having been but little disturbed
by the loss by cholera in the department incurred
during 1849. Dr. M'William gave a comparative
statement of the mortality of the two departmentF,
for the whole period, with that of the general popu-
lation, and of that of London, at the same period of
life, and with that of the army and navy on the
home station :—Mortality among male population
of England per 1,000 between 25 and 65 yams of
age (as in the Customs service), 16.0 ; do. in Lon-
don at corresponding ages, 19.9 ; mortality in in.
fantry of line per 1,000 (ages between 20 and 40),
in United Kingdom, 17.5 ; do. Foot Guards in
London, 20.5 ; do. royal navy in home station (age
from 16 to 45), 10.6 ; do. in waterguard of Cus
toms (age from 25 to 65), between 1837 and 1856,
14.1. In the same department and at the same