The Sun.
London, England, 1821-01-22 00:00:00

'and moderate discharge Of their iinp-ortantfund•
tions, probably depends the peace and tranquillity
of the. State, the preservation of religion and social
order,
,ancl the_ lives and fortunes of thous-andsof
their fellow_citizens:. TO then-2 may be therefore
-addressed the memorable sisi;nar tilt heroic
Nelson,." England expects every .man•to.do I is
duty." • It was the duty of 'his men to 'dest:oy
the external foes of his. Country : it is the duty
of the patribtic Statesman to annihilate its intc r-
na enemies.
Paddington House.

A. P.

CIJYMtUAL CONTRADICTIONS.

'• A little learning is a dangerous thing."
The trial of the cause, " Severri,"King, and
Co. v. the Phoenix Fire Office," has illustrated

he truth of the maxim which we have borrowed

rom t►ie Poet as the . text for this artiele:,

Tile

credulotiS many, who took it for granted that the
facts'and principles of chymical science were es
certain and as well understood *as the laws bf
mathematics,will be thrown back to the unbelief of
the multitude,who think nothing true which they
cannot comprehend ; and this, latter class_ will b.
confirmed iii their dogged unbelief; by the hUrni-
Eating exposure of the - little. 'which is
_upon .t? subject which has engaged the anxious at-
tendon of so many of the most distinguished Rhi-
losophers of this country, whose reSearChes have
been
.proMpted by the, double' incentiVe of p'er
sonal fame and aggrandizement. Indeed, we
should doubt whether the result might not pro-
duee a return Of the popular mind to. all 'thy
superstitions of alchymy, were not a better-He.-
quaintance with the. la ws. of visible natate,..and-of
the moral attributes of a superintending Previ-
deuce, diffused 'among mankind. At all el:ents,
it.cannot be denied, that a revulsion Of respect
and confidence in the professOfs of one of the most
useful arts of life; nay, in, the very has
been occasioned by the Contradictions and dis,
.cropencies in the evidence of scientific men upon
this trial, :Whore -motives being above:Ml Suspi-
cion, must be presumed to have delivered a fait!.
ful account of their experiment', Fn t thennbi7.
asSed opinions to which tlio!,e experiments itievito.-
bly conducted. To men of 'educatian'ziothing- can
be more desirable than the honour of the sciealce
which has obtained their peculiar regard :their
own renown will. always be secondary to the
fame of their profession, however great their'saml-
bition ; because they Will be sensible„ that. ts..-solid
reputation can never.be, established on a dubious
and to settled foimdation. Taking it for grant-
ed that these sentiments animate 'the pursuit's of
the many celebrated men whO were assembled oa
the occasion to which we have ,adverted.,, it be-
comes a consideration, in what manner they may
reconeile the differences in'. their' 'opinions ;
and restore the science which they ha-Ve involved
in perplexing obscurity, 'tO the rational consist-
ency in which it was presutned to befogi
this unfortunate expOstire of the- little .whiCh'is
knoWn, compared With what is yet.to lii:dicov-
ered, or measured even against that.'whiCh:it'stas
previOusly Supposed had been clearly.asttrtalit.:
ed. For this purpos'e„ :we think the Whole
body of Chymists should review their evidence
and enter upon a series of experiments with'that
watchfulness and care, which ' would'. fiave
chance of accident or negligence to affect the
sults. If this were done,-we have sulECiviltlaitti
in the laWs of the material world,,'-of 'theirtinde:
viating charactei,•and the acquaintance Whleft has
been obtained with them liy .former researthes;
to anticipate an, issue the most:- favourable to
science, and to the Credit and honoUr t.Nttos&
most deeply intereited.
These reflections had scarcely passed through
our. rninds Ni"hep the.9.oth f'the cl J ,
Science, 'Literature, and the AFosr.'justputiish:.'
ed, shOwed us that we Were right in ourconjee-
tures. as far, least, as Otie individnat 'con=
cerne'd. Rlr. Samuel: Parkes, a witness upon the
trial, and well,kniiwn by hiS. valuable' -Pirblica=
tions, is alive to. the honour of his 'favourites-Auld,.
and, though he kilo 'doubt anxipns to preserve
his own credit, we think it'lnartifesf that h has`
been stimulated to the task,' which 'he ha'S' ex:
ecuted, by mu ardentiove of scientific truth:- In
the Journal to which we have alluded,' this' g-etr-
tleman has gene through a careful examination of
the evideriee!upou theArial. bf Severn-an.d CoVal
action against the IMPetial insurance totiipthry,'
and has done much towards -confitinine- tle,...jus-
tice and propriety Of Alie Vertlictfol. the.
which the Jury returned: after Withdrawing for
'three quarters of an lit tar. :lie has' shown; that
most of the experiments;. iv hich .:were 'related, to
prove, the' danger of einploving, boated oil' sir=
gar-refining, were not •,c•OnittiCted with .sufiiclent
.accuracy tO overturn the result's of. other -experi--
merits made for the .purpose .h.f, convincing ; the
'Court that the oil apparatuils safer' than naked'
;fires, whieli were forinerly -employed in the• Stine
operation. •We repeat,:that,:aa :Mr- as the in.-
terests'of the. 1 Crating parties.are concerned ; the'
'question is already settled. fairly .and ltbnestli't
:for, we presume, afterthe_tetharks of Chief-Jes-
tice Dallas at the late -dial., theLlitsurancek-offices
will not be so impolitic as. to/offer any further
resistance to the deinands of the plaintiffs. • But
there are other interesesht stake, rooicpermnent
and important';. and it is- the 'bounden'dnty 'of
the chymical professors tate:Care that. they are
not further injured be dehty.;Or in.‘gligenee. We
would suggest that these g.,eittlemert- rata.:
Wish an experirnentaVconmi'ttee, for -the porpt:Fe
Of a cOrnplete tine prectied 'invest ,ration of the
' subject; 'and we are *stir'e'their lahours would be
attended with the, best-souse,gnences 'to : their

, •
own reputation and the promotion of: chyrnical
science.--:(Th Guardian.) .