New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-27
Scientific Convention at Philadelphia,
ned a, the PansylraSia UuirD'''y Ni"fh-s
Reported for The Tribune.
FIFTH AND LAST DAY.

On Saturday evening, at ordinary people Deu-
.,,oe the Convention formally adjourned Itself to
,he bosoitable mansion of Dr.. Samuel q. Morton,
celebrated and highly esteemed physician Of this
City dropped in few moments, and can readily
testify TO the pleasure Of the evening was under me
impression that quarter OF an hour Only hAu Passco
slt was astonished 10 Ind that amid the Ou@% OF am
mated conversation and in partakng OF tue generous
cheer afforded only that but an hour or TWO longer
had slipped away. None OF the company mao thoush'
OF dispensing when eit-and since the pl. assnt re-
membranes Of that evening have REQUIRED 10 more
than one among the many who were there present
This evening there is also pleasant reunion oil ne
dissolved Convention the residence OF Prot Hare IN
Che,nuf - / stopped for a time and found il vastly
.lesssnt aud social These things are always pleas.
ant and merit some h'tie particular notice
Both Sections Of the Convention met at an early
hour this morning in General Session, and was
called 10 order by Mr. REDfIELD the President
The Standing Committee first made their report
Recommending Asa Whitney, Esq ss member oil
the Association which recommendation was adopted
That Lieut Matrv be added 70 Committee the Sedl
ment OF the Mississppi-oarred and that Commit
tee OF five be appointed 10 memorable Congress on
the subject OF sending Scientific parties win the Va'ouS
military and other National Expeditions
To this last proposition sundry amendments
were suggested by various gentlemen, and quite
breezy debate thus elected. Lieut. Meury PToi'
Hare, Prot. Agassiz and others. participated
Prof. HARE deprecated in severe language OF
nent ia the advancement OF Scientific research. He
admitted that 1t necessary to keep up military esab
Hshments in times of peace and that during the reposc
Of the country both our officers and men should be
properly educated for their sphere-yet there Is no
good reason why all the moneys OF the Nation are ap
propriated to this object We must have educated
men az well as educated leaders and they should not
BE- encouraged IN idleDess, that root oil all ev-nor yet
should the Government eXpend all its energies here
ID ought make provision for the encouragement
If - trusted Committee
would be mportunate in their decentralization not
relying upon the effect Of mere formal application
lie proceeded illustrate the difficulty, even in Eu
rope. Of obtaining proper hearing for Scientific
project.
Prot AGAsslz remarked on the position of scen-
thc men in Paris Berlin &C. They do no, live in style
they are not known to all the community, but only
among themselves. The system OF allowing scientific
men great incomes, Prot A. considered very often
useless and often mischieyous one
The scientific stands alone, and Is insulated by
the value Of the truths which he demonstrates No
academy, all the world. refute the truths OF
Calico put them down Men OF science should stand
upon their strength and power. Then lei us not
forget said Prof A. our 0ca duties when we appeal 10
the support and encouragement OF Government
The Resolution recommending the Committee
10 memoralize, was unanimously adopted Dr. BROWNE
nominated Prof Hare upon the Committee so to be APP
pointed Prof. RoGFRs suggested the proprley OF
hrs referring the whole matter for the present to the
Standing Committee and this course was accordingly
taken. =,
The Committee also reported upon the expedl-
ency of procuring from each member an abstract OF
papers read before the Association to be embodied IN
the official proceedings of this sitting
A letter was read from the "SOciety for the De-
velopment of the Mineral Resources of the United
States. suggesting free interchange Of thought and
deed between the two associations upon the most I'D
eral terms The proposition referred TO the Stand
inc Committee - This new Society IL established In
Philadelphia and has for s object the collection OF sPe
cmens OF all the minerals and rocks OF the Union which
are useful either for ornament architecture or the Me-
chsnic Arts p. A. BRowN, ESQ. Is President ana Dr.
NJ w DIoKEsoN Corresponding Secretary
Prof AGAssIz then proceed with hls -HoRo
graph Of Gsypikts He said il would be recollecied
doubtless that in the Pliocene New Red Sandstone
Of Connecticut great numbers of fossil fishes have been
found lie had thought it expedent to examine mono
graphically the present existing species OF hshes whc
closely resemble these fossils The only ones living
which bear any resemblance are, the Gsrpkes Ihcse
have been tnguished into several different species-
but be Prot A. had dividcdth whole genus LepdosS
the Gsrpkes into two types the sharpnosed ana t'e
fsnosd Yet he thou CHIT he had found three species
OF the former and also two or three OF the latter or
fat nosed.
The details of these Investigations remarked Prot.
Agsssiz would be of very little interest lie hoped,
however that they would be sufficiently developed
10 bring the attention of pslsontoogist'
He referred to the structure OF the Cf'Rolaes-Ic
those star fishes which in their earlier stages OF lie rest
upon a stem He proceeded TO demonstrate by dia'
gramsl The star,hsh. when full grown, shows, sp-
parently very different animal caused by the lorna
ton OF loose plates arranged Narousy on te surface
and we notice a Gale center, whence the differ
ent rays diyerge Yet the onl difference Is. that IN
stead OF these plates forming series OF loose paTctS
ss In younrD they are united Ia the full grown animal
into hard developed aud the creature assumes It's
permanent form Of single star instead OF It's former
braTched appearance.
MIR :. p. ANDREWS (of Ncw-Yorkl then pro
ceeded with his Comparison Of he WrteH and >Pos"
Language Of The CAiaeseto which some reference was
made In my communication OF Friday last.
Mr. Andrews observed that the Chinese Language
presents some of the most remarkable phenomena
IN the whole field OF Philology. lie SAM ne ven
iured TO think that he bad made some discoveries
In relation 10 the structure aud philosophy oil inc
Chinese Language, both spoken aud written. WHICH
have escaped the observation o. the Missionaries
and European Sinalogues, and which are cASu
lated TO Indicate the true mode OF studying ana com
pretending that difficult language, and also 10 throw
much light on general Philology. The Chinese Is not
an old Language IN state OF decay but an infant Ian
gusge snted arrested In the nrst stage OF develop
ment Reducing language 10 writing always has
tendency TO arrest its farther growth a. aspOken Ian
gusge The Chinese probably written al sn earlier
period OF its existence than any other hence thonsn
one of the Oldest languages VIC must 60 10 Il TO ma
what language il in It's infancy IL is the Lhhput OF
Languages the early invention OF writing having acted
upon the Chinese bsndsgns does upon the ieet OF
the Chinese female
This remarkable language. as spoken, has no more
than $50 words which by slight variations OF tone are
increased to 3 Yet the Chinese converse with each
use no less than 900 characters that is 10 say each
spoken word has say from ~ to 200 methods OF repre-
septston according to the various meanings which
has precisely as the English rue. rts KTHs ry9h are
written differently and mean differently. while, as
spoken word, they are al one.
TIE characters BY which these words are WIZ
ten supposed 10 have been made up OF y rnoois
representing the ideas intended thus the two legs OF
man rudely drawn represeni-s man-a circle me
month the sun, &c but the existence OF the symbolic
design pctung OF the characters has hitherto
been traced but very little way that the great mass
OF the 5000 Characters embracing from one 10 nifty
strokes Of the pencil each have 10 be learned by
the Chinese themselves Of the present day and by 10
regners BY sheer exertion Of the memory many
arbitrary figures gigantic labor. All these characters
are, however, composed Of elementary onss-noi so
many AZ two thoussnd-and the symbolic nature de-
sign Of considerable portion OF these simpler ele
mepts is obvious but when united to signify dieren;
ideas they seem 10 be thrown into the most Whimsical
incongruous contradictory and absurd combinations
that TIE idea Of any original design In framing them has
been for the most part abandoned and the hope OF dis
covering scch desig "a surrendered in despair.
An equal difficulty besets the spoken language How
do the Chinese contrve 10 make themselves understood
with such handful OF words each OF which has
host Of meanings cRgaTeHy quite distinct from each
Ctherf