The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-23 00:00:00

2'H SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY.
The proceedings of the fifth annual meeting of
the Social Science Association were wound up yes-
terday in the most pleasing and satisfactory
manner. Judge Longfield, who presided over the
section of Social Economy, delivered the last of the
series of addresses by presidents of departments.
He sketched the progress which Ireland has made
in materiel prosperity during the last quarter of a
century, largely availing himself of the figures
which ace found in the valuable repository of na-
tional statistics, " Thom's Almanac." In 1841 there
were 13,564,301 acres of arable land in Ireland, the
whole- area of the island being 20,800,000, and
6,30C,000 being waste. In 1860 we find that the
arable land had increased to 15,400,000, being an
sdiition of nearly two million acres, or about 14
pr cent. With the aid of money lent by the State
tie Irish drained 200,000 acres ; but during the
same period and without any such assistance they
converted two million acres of waste iato arable
land, the relation of 1 to 10 representing the pro-
portion between what the State can do for a people
and what they can do for themselves. Again, the
total value of live stock in Ireland in 1841 was
£21,105,808 ; in 1851 it was £27,737,395 ; and in
1860 it had increased to £33,839,899, being an in-
crease of upwards of 50 per cent. in 20 years. In
the matter of Government stock a similar advance
in national wealth appears. The amount transferred
from England to Ireland in excess of that trans-
ferred from Ireland to England for the ten years
ending March, 1860, amounts in round numbers to
£2,380,000, indicating to that extent an increase in
the wealth of the people, while the stock held by
Irish fundholders has increased 25 per cent. during
the same period. Looking at the progress of the
nation in another light, we find that since 1851,
800 miles of railway have been constructed, at an
expense of £11,000,000. These were generally
branch lines, yet the traffic has increased in a
greater proportion than the mileage, being at the
rate of 21 per cent. The total amount vested in
Irish railways is £19,000,000, or nearly half the
amount vested in funds by Irish proprietors. The
annual gross receipts of all the railways is 11,300,n00,
the net return giving 3!-: per cent. on the capital ex-
pended ; and it is a remarkable fact that Irish rail-
ways are becoMing almost exclusively the property
of Irishmen. Judge Longfield next went into details
on tha decrease of Irish pauperism, and on the
popular education, which I may pass over, as these
topics were fully discussed in other sections, and the
results have come before the public in various forms.
It may be mentioned, however, that the annual cost
of educating each pupil in Ireland is 10s., whereas
it was formerly only ss.—a fact which indicates an
improvement in the quality of the instruction ; and
seven-ninths of the population are edueated by the
State in the National Schools, leaving two-ninths
for the Church Education Society, the Christian
Brothers, and private parties. Passing from the sub-
ject of education, Judge Longfield remarked that on
every side the statistical returns show the results of
increased prosperity. The revenue of Ireland has
increased more than 50 per cent. in the last ten
years, the Customs and Excise producing from
£3,200,000 to £5,400,000.
At the conclusion of the address Lord Brougham
rose and said :
" I am sure I cannot do better than refer to what
was said by my lamented friend Sir James Stephens,
the predecessor of Judge Longfield at our congress
two years ago; when he said he was afraid to
chloroform his audience with statistics. (Laughter.)
The learned judge has not only not chloroformed
you with statistics, but he has even, I should say,
somewhat in breach of the strict law of temper-
ance, applied to you some other stimulant, for
I never heard a statement more interesting or
more calculated to fix the attention of the audi-
ence ; and that attention was deeply fixed, and
that interest was exerted throughout. (Applause.)
I say nothing of the sound principles which pervade
his address, and I refer to the chloroform and sta-
tistics, because the learned judge seemed to be ap-
prehensive more than once that the tendency of his
address was to chloroform his audience. (Laughter.)
Nothing could be more gratifying than the picture
he has laid before us of the steady and universal
improvement in this great country—(applause)—in
every respect gratifying, but in one more than any
other—that the working class—the humble class
appear most to have improved. (Loud applause.)"
Thi ; concluded thy 1----z-- .£ the Sr,p;l ri.ermnrny

uncut. •
Li the Department of Jurisprudence the discus-
sion on the Marriage Law, commenced on the
previous day, was resumed. In the Department of
Education Professor Kavanagh, of the Catholic
University, read a paper on " the Present Educa-
tional Position of Roman Catholics in Relation to
the State in Ireland," in which he contended for the
denominational system in opposition to the United
System of the National Board. Sir Robert Kane,
president of the Queen's College, Cork, another
Roman Catholic, read a paper on the " Disadvan-
tages of Denominational Education as applied to
Ireland."

A very animated discussion followed the reading
of these papers, the speakers being Professor Shaw,
of Trinity College, Major O'Reilly, the Rev. Mr.
Fraser, Mr. Devitt, Professor Kavanagh, and Sir
Robert Kane. The section was crowded to excess,
and the greatest interest was manifested by the

audience.
The Very Rev. Dean Graves, in a highly compli
mentary speech, proposed a vote of thanks to the
President, Sir J. G. Shaw Lefevre. He moved,—
" That the grateful thanks of the department are
due, and are hereby tendered to Sir J. G. Shaw
Lefevre, for the courtesy, impartiality, and attention
with wilier,. he has conducted the business of the
department."
Mr. LEFROY, M.P., seconded the resolution.
Mr. WALDRON, M.P., supported the resolution,
which passed unanimously. A vote of thanks was
also passed to the Rev. Mr. Stephenson. Both the
?resident and vice-president returned thanks, after
which the department was declared closed.
This ended the business of the sections. The
concluding general meeting was held in the Solici-
tors'-room, at half-past 12 o'clock, Lord Brougham
in the chair, with the Lord Justice of Appeal on his
right, and the Chief Secretary on his left, the dif-
ferent presidents and vice-presidents being all on
the platform.
Mr. HASTINGS, the Secretary, read on the part
of the General Council, a report, or a review of the
proceedings of the Congress about to close. From
this statement it appeared that the members' tickets
issued in Dublin were 353 ; associates', 1,317 ;total,
1,700. The Council expressed to the Lord-Lieu-
tenant, the Lord Mayor, the President of the Royal
Irish Academy, the Local Offices and Committees,
the Royal Dublin Society, &c., " their deep sense
of the warm and generous reception given to an
association hitherto little known in Ireland. To
the University, also, the Council would tender
their best thanks." To the Presidents and Vice-
Presidents the Council also tendered their thanks,
and they acknowledged the important aid rendered
by the press for the fulness and accuracy of the
reports of the proceedings. Some idea may be
formed of the extent of these from the fact, that in
the first department 25 papers were read ; in the
second, 20 ; in the third, 24 ; in the fourth, 25 ;
in the fifth, Social Economy, 44 ; of which 16 were
by ladies; in the sixth, 18. In compliance with a
memorial influentially signed, the Council have
agreed to hold the next meeting in London, Mr.
Hastings, in moving the adoption of the report,

"I believe that Lord Brougham and every other 1
member ,who like myself, has attended at every
meeting
without lathe: association, must be of opinion that,
uezertivoaluing the merits of other meetings
and the
-tvc entertain :s made in other towns (of which
meeting in 13,1,7:3`. grateful recollection), this
pi,
m.,,a
it 01,
all
~t.
citlifts certainly been the most
,citeri )
.wr
feltik.
szetings of the association.
(f , coa for the kind ,te:re.lY and deeply grateful
.ption
(Cheers.) You have given us.
Professor Pillans, ortalublu. .
:3fellow-student
4
of Lord Brougham, who bog:
Sears of age,
seconded the motion in an able and. interesting
speech.
The Lord Justice of Appeal then mak__
I Eva a dibtinguiahed honotlz to. have been