The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-02

their roons on Tneday evening, June 81 IL v~s. By
unspincus wa II tss tJd a,sJe the duty Of he sec
AZ To gentlemen 81 Known Morality copiss o the
fttutoD and bylaw adyie them Of iA successful
Organization and permanent estabishment.
70 those Who have expniancei the advantages and
csp therefore duly spp eciae II value Of ostu
TINS, II cey oe dee'nsa necessary 70 argue its
general .efuInes- mechanics Of Fan Francisco
Who are fe fom every II me American Union and
mo- European States widely sep'ra ed from the whole
adjustment hieh IA eaot, sucn an association had
become almost necessity -
rhe osec,s and purposes ~ Mechan,cs Institute Of
the city San fr.ncco folly set forth in its eonst
tutn and bylaw copy # which il herewith enclosed
and believing ,he su to c,mmeed themselves to
The intelligent, the heta and the good everywhere, We
lct spch ribntuns If books, scientific apparatus
and works Of as you have the will and the ability
In scsordsncs With the above have he honor to be-
Your epedis,' rs'yant
Our avsns ia New York Is Charles b. Norton, II Cham
bers street
With these communications we received
copy Of the constitution. bylaws and regula-
tioDs of the Institute We may state briefly
that the Object Of the association is the formation
OF library reaJue room and the collection If
q cabinet OF natural history, scientific appara-
tus- works Of art &c. Its capital stock is to be
seventy-iive thousand dollars, or such further
sum as may be fixed hereafter, lin shares of
twenty-five dollars eacb,) which is to be invested
in the purchase OF suitable lot in the city of
San Francis o, the erection thereon of q proper
building or hall for the use Of the Institute,
and the first elements Of the collections speci-
fed.
The important part which mechanics insti-,
tates have played in the work Of modern civili-
cation is too well knowa to require any Demon
stration at our hands Both in this country
and in Great britain they have helped to adj
vance the intellectual status Of the masses by
at least half century. Next to educational
establishments they are the most effective moral
agents that ne have. They have, for instance,
done more in few years TO diminish the evils
Of intempsranee than the efforts Of the Maine
Law League would have effected in an age. BY
amusing and Interesting the mind they have
drawn thousands from dissipation and
ruin, who could not have been reformed by
any other means, At the same time they have
contributed 10 elevate the intellectual tastes
OF our people TO q standard higher than that Of
almost any other nation. In no part of the
Union was the want Of these institutions more
felt than ia California. There, owing to the
peculiar constitution Of the community, the
temptations 10 ldleness and intoxication are
necessarily great Where money is easily mode
it is generally ~ easily spent, and self-dcnial
has not been thus far the distinguishing virtue
of the CaliioTn'aIs 1t is to this fact that are
to be attributed the sanguinary outragcs and
the general disregard OF life and property
which daily Disgrace the criminal records Of
the State. There is nothing more calculated
to abate those evils than the establishment in
every city, town aud village of mechanics in
sttutes. II the example set by San Francisco
be generally followed, we shall soon perceive
its effects ia marked improvement in the So
cial condition Of the State.