The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-29 00:00:00

Nov. 29. 1836
•

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either to gratify an enlightned and laudable cuvico:. , t,-,
advance his temporal interests, or to enlarge the spht-re
of useful knowledge. We have been much pleased with
the report of the late lecture on chemistry, delivered at
the Mechanics' Institution, by Mr. John Hemming, of
London. Of that gentleman, as a lecturer, we have
heard frequently,
and of his ability much to his praise,
We make these few prefatory observations to qualify the
comments we are about to offer upon his opening lecture.
What we think correct, which is the main character of
the lecture, we shall leave in the lucid statements of Mr.
H.; to what we think obscure, or erroneous, we shall add
'inch illustration, or apply such correction, as we think ne
eessavY ; and, in doing this, we are assured, that we are
doing no more than Mr. H. would have done, had he
been called upon to give explanation. To him we need
tender no apology.
Speaking of chemical attraction, Mr. H. truly ob
served, " that it was usual to divide the elementary bo-
dies into two classes, electro-positive and electro-nega-
ti";" but he adds, " this mode of distinction is arbitrary
and unscientific." Though sanctioned by this authority
of Mr. H., we confess that " the distinction" does not
appear to us "arbitrary;' notwithstanding the apparent
anomalies to which he refers ; we say apparent, because
they are not real, but are reconcileable with the known
laws of chemistry. We shall not seek for examples of
our own to verify our position, but take that offered to us
byMr. H.—" Sulphur will combine with oxygen and by-
(ilr°gen ; in these cases," Mr. H. observes, " the sulphur
knegative to the hydrogen, and positive to the oxygen."
This, whilst it declares a chemical truth, in no degree in-
validates the electro-chemical theory. It never was un-
derstood that electrical characters indicated absolute but
relative qualities. Like every point except the centre,
°f a magnet—to one extremity it will be north—to the
other extremity south. The most perplexing case in the
Play of affinity as supposed to depend upon electrical
agency we ever remember to have seen, is that of passing
Steam over red hot iron, whence result oxide of iron and
hydrogen gas; and then repassing the hydrogen gas on
the red hot oxide of iron, whence there results the ori-
ginal metallic iron, and water. But this we think cepa-
bie of explanation upon known principles. Positive and
negative, as the very terms imply, are relatives, just as
the poet observes—

" Ask where's the north ? At York, 'tis on the Tweed;
In Scotland, at the Orcades; and there,

At Greenland."
All these places, and had there been a thousand more,
with the exception of the extremes, are, and would have
been respectively north and south of each other. One
sturdy question, however, arises here, which we have ne-
ver seen solved : if the two bodies which are farthest
(4unckr in electrical habitudes combine, which implies
the greatest intensity of attraction, what cause can ever
separate them? We cordially unite in the commenda-
tion so justly paid to Dalton for his labours in perfecting
tile Atomic Theory; though to the industry and skill of
berzelius we owe more, as regards the determination of
the Atomic weights.
If Mr. H., when he speaks of Mayow, meant that that
!ngenious chemist. was acquainted with carbonic acid gas,
Which escaped with effervescence when oil of vitriol is
olixed with salt of tartar," we wholly dissent from his opi-
Inno—that honour belonged to Dr. Black, and Mayow's
knowledge of pneumatic chemistry was confined to ano-
tiler gas, of which he treats, in his " Tractatus de
Spiritu Nitro-dereo."

"Potassium," says Mr. H., "is made by heating pot-
ash (which is a compound of oxygen, carbon, and metal)
la a close vessel with charcoal." The process is correctly
stated, but we object to the rationale—the charcoal added
(0 the potash, does not take away the carbon of the car-
bonic acid united with the oxide of potassium, but sim-
Itly deoxidizes the oxide of potassium, and then the car-
b°nii acid is set free, according to a law mentioned by
Mr. H., that "acids do not combine with metals"—it is
possible, that the carbonic acid may be partially or en-
tirely converted into carbonic oxide at the moment of li-
beration. Again, when "potassium is heated in carbonic
acid gas," something more happens, than the mere rege-
neration of carbonate of potash—a portion of uncom-
hined carbon is also evolved.

" fluida_non agunt"—except bodies, one or both,
be in a state of fluidity. they will not, combine. This
triaxim of 131ack is not, as Dr. H. justly observes, a uni-
versal,law. If the instance mentioned by Mr. H. con-
firms it, viz., ‘.‘ the mixture of tartaric acid and carbonate
of soda,",the. ease of sulphate of copper and acetate of
hali contradict it; and in both examples there is present
waler of. crystalization.
With regard to the process of obtaining lime, we be-
heVe .that there is something owing to the tendency to
form carbonic oxide, by uniting one atom of the oxygen
of the carbonic acid in the chalk or marble with one atom
of the ignited carbon; and to this conclusion we arrive,
hecauSe carbonate of lime heated per se, in close tubes,
t° an equal temperature, is more slowly, and more di&
"MY, decomposed and rendered caustic.
We are much inclined to doubt, whether in any case
01 the chemical union of two metals, they are separable
by heat. We know from many experiments upon *pe-
culinn metals, that no such separation takes place.
We finish our remarks upon the opening lecture. 'We
have much for which to thank Mr. Hemming ; and if
the minds of our operatives can be turned from the bar-
ren wilds of politics to the fertile fields of chemistry,
the town of Liverpool, and especial the operatives them-
selves, will have abundant cause to add their thanks to
ours.

In our last number we criticised pretty freely the
speeches of several members of the Town Council, who
took part in the discussion relative to the Corporation
Schools. We endeavoured to expose the sophistry, and
to correct the misrepresentation, which were indulged in,
1)Y What is called the liberal part of the Council, to pre-
Jeilice and mislead the public. From the hasty manner
In which our commentary was written it was impossible
iliac we could enter, at any length, into the merits of this
leiPortant controversy. The speech of Mr. Councillor
Rathbone is one of the most vague, absurd, and incon-
sistent addresses we ever read; and we defy any man,
Who.is qualified to judge on the merits of a literary corn-
Position, to contradict our assertion. ‘Ve defy the most
outrageous Radical to reconcile its discrepancies; or ap-
prove its reasoning. This worthy Councillor has taken
4,very active part in the establishment and prooction of
these schools. He has also addressed a letter upon this
subject to the liberal members of the Council, calling
Upon them to support this system. The importance,
therefore, that attaches to his character and office, claims
our respect, and demands from us a candid and faithful
examination of his speech. He commenced by stating
the great disadvantage heJaboured under, in bringingbe-
'ere them dry deiails of faits, after the very brilliant and
hiv mind, powerful and logical address of Mr. Coun-
cillor Blackburn. Now, we., have perused this speech
very carefully, and cannot rtiscover a single, fact that
bearslt upon the question at issue between the Rev. H.
and Mr. Councillor Rathbone. We admire the
discretion manifested by this honourable Councillor in
shrinking
ith from the task assigned to him. The better
Part of valour is discretion. Perhaps, as Mr. Rathbone
had put these facts into writing," lie will favour us
a sight of his manuscript and point out a few of the
act., to which he refers. We cannot pass over the reck-
less assertion, "that the selections are not intended or
ruled as substitutes but as encouragements or aids to the
ureading of the Bible." Whatever may be the opinion
ef.Mr. Councillor Rathbone upon this subject, it is clearly
evident disc such design formed no part of the intention
rgovernment when the system was introduced into Ire-
The circulation of the Bible was opposed by the
Itoinish priests, and its unrestricted use spoken of as the
occasion of all the irritation which existed between Pro-
t. estants and Catholics. It was to conciliate the Catholics,
411(1 to allay the irritation that so unhappily existed, that
government introduced the " healing measure." The
selections were to be purged of all the " offensive
cats'ages " which exposed the iniquity of Popery-.
ee Bible was thus intentionally made for all religious
1)111.'1)84es, of none effect to the poor deluded Catholic
t,!.ild• And such we boldly affirm was the design of our
Liberal Town Council in introducing this system into