New-York tribune., 1870-08-05
OUR COLLEGES.
TILE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW.YORK.

ALBANY, N. aug. S.-DuIlTS yesttIuhy
sessions of the Convocaton the suggestion presented by
Dr. F. b. Hough late superintendent Of the State Census
relative to mneralogical cabinets In the academies was
lntrusted on motion of Prof Shook OF Monticello. to
committee Dr. Hough remarked that these academies
located In places which represent altogether almost
all the periods of geological formation and II the
students in each should collect specimens from about
their own vicinities and the state would provide
them with tbe means 10 make interchanges among the
various academies complete mneralogical cabinet OF
the greatest value might be placed in each academy az
no cost beyond that of Transportation me ,es
Hail. +. g. Shook, j. d. steele; ana r. y, hanloon
demic and college examinations was appointed as fol
lows DR.. Wilson of Cornell Uniyersy ftesuene ni VI
ST. Francis xavier Principal Oliver Morehouse OF Al
bion and Principal Grenville NJ lngalsbe 9b @ Argk
At the afternoon session OF the nrst uy froI Ivan
Evans of Cornell University presented an Interesting
new method of solving cubcs and trlhoi IN i
of All degrees" President AOnzo Fack OF the COVerack
hcadem4 presented the results of investigation made
during the past year into the systems OF academic edu
cation in England" The character OF the nine great
Shrewsbury Noardlng schools and st. cbarirs Pagrs
house Din London) = was described, and their
social usages the monitora system ana o'ne sb
English system of monoral direction, which s far more
comprehensive there than It has ever been III me d
schools valuable feature for academies ae hdd
himself taught his boys with unexPeced success no to
exercise authority and enforce law the ngner ne
owercass pupils and thought some plan thus conIerrng
a sense Of authorized responsibility upon advanced
scholars both useful 10 them ana 10 ln %
After conv vocation had been opened this morning. fIo
Charles Davies the longdelayed and longe6peeted
Coinage e. and the Metric system Of Weights and Meas
ures" The paper exhaustive, and occupied heary
an hour and half in the reading. Its general TENOR
NAV he learned from these proposed resolutions with
which IL concludes: , 81, .,.,.. -
measure, and substituting therefor system Of France is too
grave and important % be lce upon without very u and careful
Ro% That The comnee Coinage weights and
additions as they may connection With the report Of
S49 9q%ffy Aas s on SesT i the
the yard The pendulum and 1s m 70 shs an e a % NnO' '1
soe this Convocstion do recommend to all teachers and
9 the world TO give special attention study this subject
crossing public attention tha, be finally disposed of wisely and
R9eG That hi. Ccnyocaon DO hereby their conviction
English pound sterling that five francs be exactly eqAn value
ioci Thu the Committee Coins Weights and Measures be and
they are hereby authorized 70 take such s,ePs by e
and hereby earnestly recommended to eli publishers Of
elementary authorities to exclude from future editions every currency
RosI That thc Committee on Coins Weights and Measures be-
d f n assops for the Advancement Of knowledge
the eIpden of changing The value Of the ounce Fo and u 'a
Prof Cornelius NJ OLeary, PHI d., NJ. d. Of Manhat-
tan rSs SGfS fsad re- sS paPfh The special
Of modern education is the uniform dnnd ana eoUI oDd
the elevation Of the natural sciences to the
front rank Ever since the value of the inductiye sys
phenomena was admitted basis of true science, the
claims of nouea to the exclusive title of schol
asc philosophy has been denied No matter how absurd
were the ply steal theories of Descarteshis famous vOr
tees for instancesO long his psyehca doctrines were
philosopher remained unbleinished But the
ing Importance OF the physical sciences by reason OF the
progress changed ALL that the most brilliant reputa
lions built upon discoveries IN chemistTy pnys
cupy the highest niche in the temple OF knowledge ut
ms rcaction was violent as IL was sudden and in the
loaI In uf
overlooked which were held III reverence by mankind
for ages There is no belief OF more ancient date.
or Of wider prevalence than that which ascribes
mental pheomena to the soul, a spiritual sub.
i'm it's essential characteristics Indeed. deeply I'M
planted Is this belief in the minds OF men, tha lie" even
81 bodest opponents dare to categorcay dsayow It.
And vet this the truth which suffers most severely
from modern physiological teaching The object Of Prof
OLearnys paper to show by what processes modern
physiology got into this antispiritua groove and to
Suggest means Of remedyng the evil without attempt
easy aud unphosophca xpanation of the phenomenon
difficult matter for the science OF psychology 10
maintain the cendency all apparent Inconsistencies
between spiritual and vital manifestations were at once
and conveniently referred to that mysterious agent
vita force When, however, the question arose as TO
the nature Of this dynamic, the dllcues all returned
and il was found that mere name had been substitutes
for explanation Thus as when IOriccln discovered
that did not abhor vacuum, ana that the maxim
had been adopted as CLOAK 10 ignorance many Ieeceu
vital force mere hSment and str0VG 10 ma an cA-
planaton in the facts Of Physiology The discoveries
made IN organic chemistry ana thc anhoSy Dct"eeh
chemical processes and the operations Of nature ~ the
suggested
of digestion and secretion. Facts were found in
entire accordance with surmises, and every step
BLAMED S chemistry This substitution Of chemicaism
for vitasm the first step toward the more recent
theories and yet before the heat OF its triumph had
cooled the doctrine forced TO acknowledge that
growth and assimilation had taken place III c0ntraVen,
ton OF ts laws The more ardent chencasts concluded
that fuller acquaintance with the laws and principles
organic chemistry would enable them to refer all phe-
previously believed product of the soul
This materlasm of Caqn's was, however shortliyed,
lille materialism growing out OF the observations OF
Fowuns with reference to the phenomena OF anesthesa
ahd others Is that they mistake the condition for the
cause and suppose that the system the whole
thought greatly modified by different portions OF the
texture, in the same manner as one who believes
glass cOored respectively as above because the color
depends on the glass not thinking that the sun beyond
S DR. pS PSeE en yesy yor fG5ai
expressing great satisfaction with others, at the intro
ductOn and treatment OF this subject.
Another highly commended paper & was H read Syrin
Physical Geography urging the entire abandonment OF
the present @ methods % o. sepgy a % ar
nary method Of considering the political department OF
the science only least primarily. has introvered
the natural order Physical geography is fundamental
to all the other branches.
GEN Prosper NJ. wetmore presented, behalf Of the
Committee the Military Roll of Honor Of the Acade
mics and Colleges of NewYork, eloquent appeal for
sowy and the indefacabe zeal df Regent %et@ore
gives assurance that desirable a record will long
be wanting i'll our state archives.
MADISON UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT
VISIT TO THE NATURAL HISTORY DEPART
MENT-A MIssIoNARY's OPINION OF THE
CHINESE.
HAMILTON, n. Y, Aug. This morning was
devoted 10 the public examination Of the theological
graduating class large number OF divines pres
ent and evinced much interest. Some of them asked
.t...
nominationa faith, but principally in regard to the
views entertained nv younp tbeoopians