Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-09-10
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT SEA.

In the House of Commons on Monday Mr.. G. Al HAM
HToN in rising to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty in
reference to Parliamentary paper No 5 Of session 1853
and to the communication made by Lieut. Maury to the
Secretary of the United States Navy and the conference
suggested in the letter of the Secretary of the Treasury
Of December l6 and Of Mr. Ingersoll Of March whe
ther any such conference had been held and whether
any steps had been taken with view establish
form and accurate system of recording meteorological and
other observations at said that the subject
one OF great he hoped he might be permitted to
make short explanatory statement. most interesting
series of papers had been presented by command of her
Majesty in March last respecting proposed plan for
making meteorological and Autographed observations
at and respecting which the Government Of the Uni
ted States had eyincsd great interest 1t appeared
far regarded the United States, to have originated in
the presenting by her Maestys Government to the Gov
ernmcnt of the United States, in November 1851, of
volume containing Sir John Burgoynes instructions for
taking meteorological observations the principal foreign
stations of the Royal Engineers This had ELECTED let
ter from Mr. Lawrence to Earl Granville dated February
IL 1852, calling attention to plan of Lieutenant Maury,
of the National Observatory, Washington, for establish
ing universal system of meteorological observations and
enclosing letter from Mr.. Webster requesting the
operation of the British Government 1t was impossible
to read the able letters Of Lieut. Maury without being
deeply impressed with the Importance of the subject He
stated truly that all the great interests of States and the
well-being of the whole human family to be adj
vanced by increase o. knowledge touching the dynamca
laws of the atmosphere and the distribution through it
over the surface OF planet of electricity heat and
moisture For the fruits of his labor the husbandman
was dependant upon atmoSpherical conditions The sub
jec therefore he Observed of high scientific in
terest and also of the greatest national industrial and
practical import At the present time than one
thousand vessels connected with the United States made
and recorded observations according prescribed form
After various communications during the last year be-
tween the Foreign Office the American Minister the Adj
mraty, the Board of Trade and the Royal Society it
had been suggested by Mr. Ingerso th'S conference
should be held with Lieut. Maury, in conformity with the
authority given him by the Secretary of the Navy of the
United States in order that arrangement might be
made that the Governments of the principal maritime
tons should undertake. conformity and in cooperation
system Of meteorological observations be made at sea
in all ships in the naval service Of these several nations
to be participated in by the merchant service Observ-
ing that Lieut. Maury in this country he (Mr
Hamon) had to ask whether any such conference had
been held and whether any steps had been TAKEN ars
ing out OF these papers, to establish uniform and
rate system Of making and recording meteorological and
other observations at sea
Mr. CAnDwELL said that the subject had been brought
under the attention Of the First Lord Admiralty
and OF the mercantile marine department of the Board of
Trade lie should to-day have the honor of receiving
Mr. lngerson; and the conference appointed to be
held at Brussels in the of the present month
which Captain Beechey Of the Board Of Trade would
tend on the part Of this country.