New-York daily tribune., 1854-04-29
uFE TING OF THE AMERICAN Association
FCR THE ADPANCENENT or SCIENCE.
From Our Own Reporter
yIRsV DAY


peculiar locality
TIL. ANIMAL election OF officers kr this nee'ng Iook
pisee last year and the general meeting being c'Ied TO
oroer by the retiring Pr-sden. o. the Society Pr essor
PIrRtE prayer offered py the Rev DR. BAcJN OF MS
city
Professor PIERCE then introduced his Successor Pro-s
FOR DANA of Yale College, who upon taking the Char
made the following brief but pertinent remarks
GExIIExES In taking this place with which yoa have
honored ne permit TO sude briefly - one or two OF
the objects which have brought u together One great
end proclaimed in the name of the Association Is the
mept of Science, which implies that are not
TO delay suggishy ignoranty over old facts bu ear
ney TO gather in the thet our facts be not ephe
neral which the next passer by will dlsspae but sure
eter al facts enduring as sdamant that shall give so
hdy increasing extent and beauty to the edhce Of truth
Such fact. are best welcome when least al rnei aud dis
encumt cred nearly may b. OF the rubbish OF words
Ihey reach their ultimate e6d When clear insight into
pr cIts enables the phloophert point ont their exact
place the sublime stem of nature thereby eHs our
kuow,dge of its divine author
But the re is another prominent object in view in the
nusl meeting II is the cultivation of good telling kindly
epmeuts and sympathy among the lovers Of science IN
the land that. with aim before us-truth and not
self the end of every 1--we ii. s,ionwe may go for
ward rejoicing in each others success and
glad for the new light we may each receive This end
alone accomplished. bs meeting will have been abun
dsnty profitable But with in both objects, we
shall have occasion to remember long this gathering in
WasbiDg n in 1884 and may this be the result
Election of members then took plsc-
r,sou.ien nvitog the Presid nt Cabin and mem.
bers OF y House OF Representa- attend the
u...,irgs OF ,he Socery "a passed.
DvisioUs the Ma, ,oroi Aexaodrio to visit thatcity
from Georgetown Coege vi that inst, "a aud from
louue Mems Christian As,oci.o 10 h1, ~ were re-
ceived nd accepted
Society adjourned 10 !; O'clock
EvEsISs SESSION.
violent storm of rain, accompanied by thunder and
lightning occurring shore time previous 70 the hour fixed
for the evening delay Of hour TOOK pl.e and
the regular arrangements for The meeting dispensed
with.
Prof RUSHLE read paper in relation t. Prot, 'sRcss
Lunar Tables, and by clear analytical oning showed
the superiority Of the tables under conde alton TO thoss
invented by BrRKHARDT both regs.d. ana
facility Of computation. An abstract OF Pco1u uon 81
saboratey repete with technical terms would hard prove
satisfactory those familiar with Autonomy interesting
to general reader and therefore do attempt
The paper intended ss reply to a review OF Prof
Peirces tables ard the writer abored to show by ompa
rson ha, the America tables decidedly preferable TO
those of the EDgsh msihemstican IT dose in argu-
meni his in tone and closed with d s'v,d tribute to
the genius OF the inv,r rtor which could e'cct zach
monum NJ and to the Government that is able to
sGe and suf'an them
Tie reading the paper followed oy femsss from
Proes,o PIERCE who expressed his beeftaa, accurate
as his tables had been proved be- snical genius
would long 70 toe Assistance of the mat emacan
and produce machine thit would accurately com
pute the peru batoDs lunar atons than h, had been
able do by his invent III illustrated his position by
Diagrams which seemed simple add slissctOry TO the sea
enifc men preseL that the thing couh be done II the
cesssry mechanical ger and skill brought 10 bear
upon the subject somted that such invention
would prove of ncalculabl importance to astronomer
The anguine hopes expressed that the want
would eventually create tho application Alter
lively discussion upon the subject the meeting adjourned