New-York tribune., 1868-08-27
NATIONAL AcADEuY or SCIENCE.

sF,1-ANNUAL MEETING ~ NORTH iMPTON, MASS
--I1Rsr DAYS SEsS1OS-THE CHANNELS OF
EEw-YORK HARBOR-THE RAINFALL or
THE UNITED STATES.
FROM OUR srgCIAL CoRRRsPOSpENr.I
NORTHAMPTON, Mass, Aug. 2j.--A sage news
paper writer lately remarked that there two prnc
pies which hold tho universe together, gravaton and
tho center Of gravity. IL this profound statement be
true % must be that Northampton Is the aforesaid center
OF gravity 90 the universe for The National Academy OF
selenco docs not know GJont gravta0n who does? and
the National Academy oi Science is not only here today
but IL 10 hcru fUr the thd timo. For my part am IN
ened attribute the presence " tire Academy 20 tho
beauty OF the town. IT, quiet. the convenience or the
County Court Roam n which tho meetings held &c.
The National Academy Oh science vas organized by an
wilson, aud approved by PRESIDENT Lincoln, March .,
1863
By the third section OF the act 10 "further enacted
thai tho National Academy OF Science shall hold an
nual meeting such place in the United states may
be designated, aud the Academy shall Whenever called
upon by any department ot tie Government inv esgate,
examine, experiment. and report upon any subject OK
science THE actual expense Of such i4yeseatons
oralnnatious experiments and Icpor8 % be ppd from
appropriations which may be made for the purpose; but
the Academy shnll receive no compensation vH.Yer Tor
any services 90 the Government Of the United 5tates
The membership af the Academy by law limited to
co. The act OF incorporation named the oll<nai mem
hers since that me j. H. Alexander, A. ID. Bache, j.
NJ Gnliss a; Could, Edward HitenGocE. ! D Aa4- A,a43
bard. J. c.. Totten ana B.IJhnh SiImah lttS ulee'
Y. A. Boyden A. DShlfreq, Geo..Sep EaSeimaaR'
JefIries Wyman, X; L. Rogers, ond w H. Rogers nave
resigned The roll, as It now stands II a. follows;
Jos Henry tho Smithsonian institute fIeslucuE hul-
colt Gibbs, Prof of Chemistry at Harvard secrc@ry'
Louis Agassiz aud Alex Aga-s his som stephen Alex
eirce OF Harvard ana tho Coast survey AsAs JasWe
President Of Brown University President j. A. T. Bar
bIa College " T. CITY; W. H. G Bartlett Of West Point;
Gems. John q. Barnard, NJ O. Meigs. and A. A. Hum
phroys Of tho y. T. Army Spencer f. Baird of the Smith
sonan Institute; Profs Jas D. Dana 5. w. johnson. HUI
bert AEewton. Benz sllnan, Geo j. Brush and Vim. ID.
J. q CONN Of the SSsa Academy; Admiral DAVIS. q.
s; N; Pro- John C. Dalton oi n \ CITY; VIM: FSrreii
f9s F9a1:I ~ p Tsey john L. fs cone Mitchell s %er
and Farman Rogers OF Philadelphia; Jas Hall VI Albany;
vey; b. A. Gould OF Cambridge; JOS Wnlook OF the Cam
bridge Observatory; Leo LesquereaK OF Columbus Ohio;
Strong OF Rutgers College, N j.; Prof ID. II. Mahan
West Point Comlnodore John Rodgers; Geo T. MARSH,
State Geologst Of California and Prof Of Geology In Har
Il viii be seen that this list comprises tho most proml-
nent names among the scientific men OF this country.
The chief colleges the Army aud Navy the Coast Survey,
Prof Henry the President called the Academy to order
at 10 a. m, aud the Secretary called the roll hessrs
Henry, Gibbs, Lesley Le Conte Peirce, j. d. whitney.
W j. whitney, Hol0roo and j. ltodgers answered to
their names j. 3 Holbrook came forward ana TOOK INC
oath OF membership aud OF allegiance 10 the United
states required by the act Of Incorporation President
Barnard and B, A. Gould afterward came in.
Tho President Prof Henry then gave some account OF
tho work OF the two committees which had been ap-
pointed at tho previous meeting Tho Committee on
their representations. prevented Congress from adopting
certain eI ehpsaientS ior PtsyennSn %Gh tae
on standard meter for alcohol appointed at tue sug
gesOn Of the Secretary OF the Treasury had conducted
series Of Iporments meters aud had made their re-
port The object % prevent frauds upon the reve-
nue. from distilled spirits On ther report and recon-.
mendations being laid before Congress- they met with
great opposition (from what BOurce easily be
imagned and II proposed 20 discontinue tho Com
mission. Prot Henry appeared befOne the Committee Of
the House. showed that the Committee, being appointed
by the Academy could not be broken up by the House,
and defended the report. Tho result that commits
Bon was appointed BY Congress 20 review the subject In
connection with the COMMITTEES Of the Academy. The re-
suit was that the report OF the Committee confirmed,
and went back in lts original form to Congress- The mo
ter recommended is now going into general use. Lot
those who think that tho Academy Ia OF 10 the
Government think about these facts little WHILE ana
let them when they complain OF the trlng expense Of
printing the memoirs OF the Academy consider the other
fact that the members Of the Commission Meters ap
edly paid at $40 day while the Committee OF the Aca
deny worked i've weeks for nothing.
Ihe scientific session began at IL u with paper by
Henry Mitchell (Assstan the United States Coast sur
vey), on The Tides and Tidal Currents OF Hell Gate"
This paper, ia Mr. Mtches absence, was presented by
Prof Peirce OF Harvard The paper opened with al ac
count OF the changes the channels and the sources OF
the materials which washed into the harbOr. The
changes In the channel toward Sandy Hook was attrbn
ted 60 the encrOaohments OF the upon the shore at
Long Branch The cause and characteristics OF the
rents at Hell Gate we're traced 70 the variation In the
relative nights Of the tides coming In from the south aud
from the cast Prof Peirce twho s IN charge of the
United States Coast Survey as well Professor In Har
vAfd gave running commentary Qpon this payer. Tpe