The New York herald., 1869-08-27
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION F0R Tu1 iDVaXCE-
MENT OF SCIENCE.
Inst Days Session-Sccfi0ual Meetinas-
Ha4Iness Mee:ing-EIectiOn of Cuicers-
Address OF Professor Ag,issiz-tield Day ut
Roe kport.

Inst Days Session-Sccfi0ual Neetpas-
Bu.Iness Mee.ing-lIection of Glicsrs-
Address OF Professor Agnssiz-Eield Day ut
Roe kport.
SALEM Mass, August 25, 1869.
The association held general meeting at ten
O'Clock, at which the following business was
transacted
Professor ToRREY from the Committee on
Weights and Measures, reported and recommended
the following resolution which was passed by the
standing committee:-
Resolved That thls association cordially approves the
tenn by making The aue Of the dollar precisely that Of one
Sa hall m Of of qf s I'M @ ~
uahcaon OF weights, and coinage, units which
relations to each other.
The following resolutions were adopted
Whereas this association has been informed that
befs Of the Statistical Congress- IN favor Of
holding Of its meetings in the United states of America
ps ls so n h S % @nd a
decide to make the united States M place of meeting at
Resovod Tha, copy of these resolutions be forwarded
the presiding officers Of the United States the Interna
ton Satstica Congress at the session held
the Esgue in the Netherlands
In section A, devoted to mathematics, physics and
chemistry, the following papers were read:"On
the Construction Of fnree Maps Of Europe, France
and North America, in the GnomOnlc Projection,
with View TO the Distribution OF Mineral Wealth
Felix Foucou; Electricity Not Sef-eXIstent Fluid,
but Mode ot Melton of Matter" by Professor p.
Ii. Van der Weyde; ''On Laws OF Trade" by Profes.
sor L. b. Elliott; "On the Proper Monetary Unlt,n
by Professor j. r. Hollingsworih.
On the Gnomonc Projection OF Maps, Mr.. FELIX
FoUCoU, formerly of Paris France, now OF Madison
Wisconsin, said that the system OF projection Is gno-
monic, which Is the development Of a country oyera
plane tangent to the terrestrial spherod the cen
ire OF the SAID country. The superiority OF this sys
Is that 1t represents every grand circle OF the
earth by straight line instead Of curve, as in the
= sv-te r. In mi
surely mining operations and geographical studies
a. 1t Is now ascertaine1 that many grand circles or
earlS crust and the belt OF mineral wealth OF SINH
lar origin Sucn relation Is fully displayed. both
In Europe ana America, by recent discoveries OF
mines aud mineral springs and by the close study Of
the nam features OF the two continents
Or. VAN DER WEYDE believed that electricity ia
NOT d sefeXisent fluid, but a mode or motion OF
matter-a theory to him no more startling than that
heat is mere motion, and one which We had even
more right to believe. IL Is generally asserted that
vacuum is good conductor but the speaker
denied that it Is conductor at all. Rareled air Is
really present IN the common experiments with
vacuum and this IL conductor, as is illustrated by
the aurora borcai.. Matter is really then the
medium Of conduct. Considerable discussion fol-
the House telegraph 1t Is shown that the turning OF
the machine produces friction. and thereby elec-
trclty and tins Is the strongest proof of the produc
ton Of electricity by motion. Heat is produced
by the consumption or coal aud electricity also
by the consumption of zinc. II was once thought
necessary to use the term caloric when heat was
supposed to be iud. and In the same way Professor
Weyde thinks that the term electricity means moth
ing really But the principal proof which the Pro-
fessor Gdduces Is by showing tnat while rarI1ed air
Is very good conductor OF electricity a perfect
vacuum ls no conductor at ALL This is proved by
extracting the air from glass tube, through winch
a disconnected wire Is passed. In the rarehed air
the electric spark jumps across when the ends OF the
wire twenty inches apart, While IN the vacuum
tine spark does not pass distance OF the eighth OF
an inch, and from this experiment the Professor de-
duce the fact that matter IS necessary Tor the exist
ence and conductOn OF electricity Just rs air s ne
eessary for the existence and conduction OF sound.
Professor EILIorrS pap er on the 'lawso OF Trade''
citcd good zeal OF att ention, and the subject OF
A. was to examine the IN ahematicaI methods OF in-
vestgaton OF the laws OF trade, the laws OF quality
being as applicable TO ques tions OF production con-
sumption and trade as to any other class OF guam
tity In discussing this subject there IL 10 be con-
sldered the producer, consumer and one OF more in
termedlate agents, and the practical question In re-
gar to each one OF these Is what rate OF profit ON
the commodity which passes through his hands Will
yield the largest 1t Is clear that the charge
may either be 80 high to prevent the transerence
OF commodities, or low "a to yield no profit, and
that some rate intermediate between the highest and
the lowest Will yield a maximum OF revenue. The
determination OF tnls point Is proper subject for
mathematical investigation Mr.. Elliott investigated
the influence OF an indefinite number Of interme.
diate agents on the revenue, aud also illustrated by
statistics or the imports OF Great Britain for
series OF years, the influence OF decrement In the
rate Of duty upon the prices OF commodities, both
in bond and duty paid He showed that the benefit
resulting from IA decrease In the rate Of duty was
divided between the producer and consumer in de-
flnitel proportions. In the special case whica lie
presented as an illustration, covering period OF
eighteen years OF British experience of the relative
benefits OF certain reductions IN the rate OF duty,
averaged about thirty per cent to the producer
and sixtyseven per cent TO the Consumer. This rate
is not always uniform; In the Illustrative pre-.
sented the average benefit to the producer at dif-
erent subdivisions OF this penod varied from ten
TO seventy-nve per cent and to the consumer from
twenty-five To ninety per cent
Professor PEIRCE closed the proceedings with
paper upon quintupe algebra, which was the utmost
reach OF mathematical science, unnteligibIe even
TO mashematlcans.
In section B, geology and natural history, the fol-
lowing papers were read:--"Tne Geology OF North
Caroina," by Professor W. q. Kerr was the subject
ties Of that locality.
Professor WILLIAM PRESCOTT read a paper on O
new species OF chiton, and Professor G. +. HARTT
on beha OF Professor w. F. Blake, one on "Fosslls
nom Table Mountain California; The fossils no.
ticed consisted or tooth OF riinoceros, apparently
Identical with tho rhlnOceros nesberlus, and meta
Iarsai bone OF very large animal allied TO the elk.
These fossils, which have been determined by Pro-
lessor Marsh were taken out OF the Maine Boys tun-
Del by Mr.. u. i. Hughes at distance OF about l. 500
feet the mouth OF the tunnel and 300 feet below
the surface. They were entombcd in the auriferous
gravel or that ancient deposit and the bone had EVIL
dently been broken and gnawed upon by carnivor-
Gus animals before II Was washed into the deposit.
paper was read on the "Laws OF Mountain For
mations,N by Mr.. j. 5. GRIMES, In which he ad.
vanced @ the theory thaf the ocean had once sub
their present outlines had risen from the bottom
more than three miles ana come within o few hun
drcd feet OF the surface. The waves beating upou
the elevated borders had abraded them, ana the
sediment being deposited on a continent near the
Doluei, nau PfOduced depressions, aud tDcsO ny re-
action produced elevations.
Professor AsAssH, evidently getting impatient at
The reading OF the paper aud dlsagreens with the
IDEAS Of ITS author, said that Mr. Grimes was wasting
the time OF The association, and that IL was their
wish the reading vi the paper be discontinued Pro-
lessor Agtssiz SAID this was meeting Tor the aG-
vanceiDcut OF science aud IL clear mat the gen
tlenab had not informed himself OF the first cleinen-
Jarr principles OF 9cOOry.
Mr. GRIMES said he was glad OF the interruption
because IL would tend to advertise ms views ana
thlis cause them TO be Investigated. II psper was
decided 10 be baseless before read they might
Just ~ vel nave the days of The Inqusitaon over
again.
Professor AGAssIz dsclaimed any intention OF be.
my intolerant 10 MI. Gnmes. lie was an officer ap-
pointed ~ see that time was not needessly frittercd
away aud ne was bound TO keep tue business OF the
meeting within itH Legitimate Limits. The gentle
mans theory was opposed 10 those escertalned
facts adopted by Reoopsts for the last thirty wears
Mr.. GEiMEs, Win some warmth asked N the la
cal theory had been adopted by tie seoogsts OF The
pasL thirty years.
Professor AoAsslz said he did not care whether 10
was or not.
Professor HALL said there was not ANYTHING In The
paper upon which 10 haDg an idea.