The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-01
FROM OUR OWN coRREspoNDENr.I |
NEW YORK, Nov. l, 1869.

Il
New YORK, Nov. l, 1869.
The American Social Science Association held
its eighth annual meeting in this city during the
past week Its object was the discussion of
questions relating to education, public health,
economy, and Jurisprudence. Its sessions at
tracted a small but select audience, people who
had faith in the possible Improvement of human
society. The papers presented We're the work Of
men who had special training in the subjects
they discussed and the proportion of stale and
wordy matter was very small. The most interest
ing essays were:
l. Mr.. A. r. Spoford, librarian of Congress,
read historical and argumentative paper on the
Public Libraries of tie United States. BY means
of this gentlemans zeal the Washington Con-
gressional Library his become the largest library
in the country,-he Boston Public Library
ranking second, an the Astor, of this city, the
third Mr.. Spofad induced Congress to pur-
chase the Peter Free Collection, which was one
of real value; ht many of the books in the
Congressional Library the official publications
of Congress, ,-irerminable speeches and reports
which have been printed, not because they were
worth printing but in order that the Con-
gressional printF might have e job The Astor
Library cOntais fewer of these &c books which
are not books, as Charles Lamb phrases it, and
is the most itrinsically valuable library in the
country. Nj Spoford implied a just censure,
in the course IF his essay, upon the churlish sell
fshness whi4 is displayed in the management of
the Astor Lrary, in closing it at all times ex-
cept durin few of the most active business
hours of delight, and thus making it worthless
to the genal public. Mr.. Spoford was formerly
editor of te Cincinnati Commercial.
2. HonJas A. Garfield presented paper
upon eth American Census.' He said that it
should fulish a muster-roll of the American
people, ar " exhibit, far as it is possible for
figures tohow, their vital, physical intellectual,
and mors power lie argued that the census
should b taken by persons specially appointed
to the wk and enumerated &, large number of
importaIs questions hitDerUo uIsregarueu III Tne
decenniaiensuses, which should be settled by
the enumftion that is to be made next year.
| The quesens relating to civil war are of
especial inFest. Has the loss of half q million
Young and middle aged men, during the late war,
! diminish the ratio of the increase of popula-
ton? Eye the relative numbers of the sexes
been seiibly changed? All these enquiries, and
| many IRE, if the excellent plan of Gen. Gar
field fadopted, will be answered by the Ameri-
can Clsus of 1870.
Go Garfield is a person of striking physical
! presece,-a portly man of thirty-eight, with a
largelead, a flowing auburn beard, a clear eye,
and n air Of vitality, health, and bodily we'll
bein about him that is delightful by contrast to
the ore frequent American type of thin and an
gula physique. His magnificent body houses a
saebrain; and he is destined, if his future
care should fulfill the promise of his past, to
do CAT service to the character and culture of
Ameca.
3s5eo William Curtis followed Gen. Garfield
with paper ON the 9 Reform of the Civil Service"
Mr.gurti1 ie man Of forty-fve, and is one of
theoest-known of our auLnors. ti.ir,. I.~ Is
Gened to political eminence also for his talents
arefFa high order, and he is acceptable to the
la e and increasing class of Americans who are
drous of purifying politics, of putting men of
clacter in the high places. Mr.. Curtis is
ma of sanguine temperament, with a minor
uroortion of the bilious and of the nervous; he
q ads nearly six feet high, has auburn whiskers
I'd light hair (Which it may interest the ladies
know that he parts in the middle } his figure
straight and rather slender; his complexion,
| hough naturally 1Orid, is paled by his literary
iabits. His features regular and intellectual !;
heir profits is perpendicular, and the chin is full
nd cleft he has large gray eyes, and is altogether
| notieeably handsome man. He is somewhat
! -nglish-looking. As a lecturer he Is a great
Eavorite. He was pet of society in his earlier
years. 1t is remarkable, and greatly to his
credit, that he should have broken away as reso-
lutely as he has done from the frivolity of a
fashionable set, and that he has so devoted him
self tn honest and earnest pursuits There is a
strong vein of metal in the man,-a vein that
the conventional moralist often fails TO detect
when it underlies an elegant culture like that OF
DIR. Curtis. But he has undoubtedly the iron
hand beneath the velvet glove. He has lately
declined the nomination for New York Secretary
Of State; and Gen. Sigel will run in his place in
the election which takes place tomorrow But
Mr.. Curtis has every qualification for a high
political career, with the possible exception o
ambition } and when his literary ayocations re
lease him, think we shall see him prominent il
the field of politics. His paper on the Reform o
the Civil Service was able, earnest, and eloquent
With men like Geo. w. Curtis in that service
its reform would be assured.
4. The other noticeable papers were by Frederi
Kapp, on immigration; by Prof. Dwight, on tn
Public Charities of New York; by j. d. Potts
on Transportation as Science; and on an Inter
national Code, by David Dudley Fie!I. Mr.
Kspp one of the Commissioners of Immigration
estimates its present amount at SOC, 900 souls pc