Washington sentinel., 1853-10-23
From the National Intelligencer.
The Brussels Convention.

The Brussels Convention.
We received Yesterday from Europe a quarto
volume, containing an account of the proceed
ings of the Maritime Convention recently held
at Brussels, at the instance of Lieut.. Maury, Of
the United States navy, for the purpose of de-
termining, with the concurrence of all maritime
nations, the adoption of a uniform system Of
nautical observations for the advancement of
scientific navigation. This new work is writ
ten in French and English. 1t contains the
minutes of the convention, with summary re-
port drawn up by Lieut. Maury, and form or
model for the journal which seamen are desired
to keep in prosecution of the objects Of the
convention. As our Paris correspondent men
toned in a late letter, the convention opened
in room of the hotel of the Belgian Minister
of the interior, at Brussels, and was composed
Of delegates representing the following coun-
tries United States England, France, Russia
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium,
and Portugal M. Quetelet, the learned direc
tor of the observatory Of Brussels, was chosen
president of the convention. Lieut.. Maury
opened the labors of the body with an expose
OF the wants of nautical science in its present
state, of his own past abors for the supply of !
those wants, and Of his plans for effectinG com
pletely the reforms needed by the cooperation
of the marines, merchant and military, of all
civilized nations. Having heard the expose Of
Lieut.. Maury, the convention first bestowed its
attention upon the instruments in general use
among seamen for making their observations;
and it was resolved that efforts should be made
to ameliorate several of them. The marine
barometer especially was recognised to be very
deficient So faulty is it, said Lieut. NJ, that
meteorologists, in their Investigations into the
laws of atmospheric pressure, find themselves
almost constantly unable to give any value to
the barometrical observations made at sea.
The conference then prepared model journal
for the use Of sea captains in recording their
observations.
The first column Of this Journal says the re-
port, indicates the number and kind of obser-
vations which the United States government re-
quires Of sea captains in order to entitle them
to gratuitous participation in the advantages
anticipated as the result of the system. They
are required to record once a day the position
of the ship, the direction and force Of currents,
the height Of the barometer, and the tempera-
ture ofthe airand water Theforce and direction
Of the winds must be given three times day,
and the variations of the needle must be noted
whenever observed. The succeeding columns
of the journal are intended particularly for the
use OF vessels of war, and are to contain com.
Elementary observations, the making and re-
cord of which require more time, care, and
skill. When the observations shall have been
made and recorded in the manner prescribed
they are to be forwarded to bureau organized
ad hoe, where they will be examined, and the
information they contain made to concur for
the discovery of the general facts and laws the
knowledge of which is necessary for the ad-
vancement of the science of navigation. The
King of Sweden caused to be announced to the
convention that he had already given orders
thaf in,,rpa1c Gapf b,, a1r,f
should be transmitted TO the Royal Academy of
Sciences at Stockholm. The governments of
Holland, of Belgium, and of Portugal, have
taken similar measures, and the Admiralty Of
Great Britain will order meteorological obser-
vations to be made in the royal navy. Mr.. M.
that the merchant marines of other
nations would be placed in the prosecution Of
this work upon the same footing with that Of
the United States; that is to say, every sea
captain who would keep during his voyages
journal upon the plan prescribed by the con-
yention, and forward a copy of the same to the
American government, should be entitled gratis
to copy of the Navigator's Guide, and Of the
charts of winds and currents, which it was in
tended to publish. Having settled these va
rious matters the convention adjourned sine
die on the 9Th of September, after voting thanks
to the Belgium government for the liberal spirit
with which it had concurred in the views Of the
delegates, and furnished all needfull facilities
for the prosecution of their labors.
Thus" adds the Lndtpenaance OF Brussels, at
the conclusion of an article upon the convention
and its results, thus, thanks to the initiative
taken by mere lieutenant of the American navy,
the principal maritime nations of the earth have
become engaged in one of the most vast and use.
full scientific enterprises that have ever been con-
ceived. Thus have those nations concurred in
common efforts to explore Tor the common good
air and ocean, which belong in common to the
human race The results ofthis grand enterprise
will without doubt reach beyond the narrow limits
which Lieut.. Maury at first proposed to himself
But, whatever those results may be, has not the
convention of Brussels already presented, as Lieut..
nj. eloquently remarked, fine spectacle TO the
world II has united in the noble end Of benefit
ing humanity convention Of naval officers whom
heretofore we have never seen assembled except
TO deliberate at the cannon's mouth upon the most
efficient means for the wholesale destruction of
the human species. Is not this moral result
upon which we may well congratulate ourselves,
while awaiting those of scientific nature which
we reasonably expect? Let US also congratulate
ourselves upon the fact that Belgium has been
chosen for the preparation of this work Of civiiza-
ton and peace. Long has our country been the
battle field upon which the governments of Europe
have debated their quarrels. II is now the pacific
rendezvous Of men addressing themselves to the
by the cooperation of all civilized
nations, of enterprises for the good of mankind
Our country's neutrality established by policy is
daily becoming consecrated by science. Here is
one power more ranging itself on our side, and it
is power whose aid is not TO be despisedn
-------S~s~-
aeA- My dear, Mr.. Smith has Just closed
his store, and left one Of his mahogany rockers
outdoors To prayent its heipn ctolan badn,t