New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-02

G. w. s.
ROUTINE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION.
ADDRESSES BY OFFICERS PRESIDING OVER SECTIONS
A PAPER by DIR. sCHwEINFURTH on GASES OF
THE IYBIAN DEsERT-DR. REDFERN AND PROF
HUXLEY on THE PRESENT STATE OF PHYslo-
LOGICAL scIENcE-RELATIoNs BETWEEN FLOW
Frs AND INSECTS.
trRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRfBUNE.l
Br1FAsr Aug 29-The work of the Association
during the two days following Prof. Tyndalls open
ing address on Wednesday evening has been manly
of a routine character The various sections meet
each morning at H. papers are read, and sometimes
the papers are discussed. That depends good deal
on their importance and somewhat on the people
present II Prof. Huxley for instance, attends
section in one of his numerous departments OF
scientific activity and if he finds anything to APP
prove or 10 criticse he is pretty certain to have
something to say. It is such occurrences which
arouse more general interest in the proceedings
than anything else. Mere reading of papers is apt
TO prove mOnotonous Each section was opened on
Thursday morning by an address discourse from
its presiding officer OF these the most noteworthy
were that by Lord O'Hagan to the section OF
Economic Science and Statistics and that by Major
Wilson of the Royal Engineers to the Geographical
Section.
As Lord O'Hagan is Belfast boy. born and bred,
il was only natural that he should have something
10 say about the city in which he was speaking.
take him 10 be really of the ablest of recent
Irishmen In London he is greatly esteemed and
liked In Belfast, to disprove for once the old
remark, he is honored, and ne honors Belfast. He
yields 10 no depression on account of the strike.
That is the misfortune of moment. To him Bel
fast is the steadily prosperous town, increasing in
population from 10000 in 1920 to 174,O00 in 1872,
and showing now multitudes of palatial manu-
factories where within his own memory, there stood
exactly one. Palatal, l may remark. is strong
word and, unless 1t may be taken to mean simply
large cannot be strictly applied to multitudes OF
manufactures in Belfast or elsewhere. The city
may fairly boast of some buildings of con-
siderable architectural merit, and of multitudes of
others. Nor are there many cities about the modern
architecture of which a man can conscientiously
say more The opinion of a late Lord Chancellor
on the Land question has value for all Ireland Pro-
testing that it is too soon to speak confidently all
points, Lord OHagan believes that Mr.. Gladstone's
Land Act has been already of signal advantage, and
will yield far greater benefits hereafter He is disap-
pointed with the operation of the purchase clauses
which passed with unanimIty through Parliament
from sense of the value of difused proprietOrship
among the agricultural classes. 1t is impossible,
says Lord O'Hagan, to over-estimate their impOr-
TO the progress of this country in industry and
order. Yet they remain almost dead letter on the
statute book. Since the passing of the act, the whole
number of tenant farmers who have purchased their
holdings but 3SS. The extent of land thus pur-
chased but % ZIG The total cost but f3l9,522
The total advances from the Commissioners but
f192O66. Worse than that the applications to pur-
chase diminish instead of increasing, having been
2O5 in one year and only LOG the next. Well may
Lord OIIagan say that these facts are dsappont-
ing and call for inquiry into the causes of such
failure. In his opinion:
Ii will necessary facilitate still further the trans
fer of land in small proportions oT cheapenng convey
and validating titles at small expense ana that
this purpose II will be essential to extend the opera
of the Record of Title Office beyond the narrow
sphere WITHIN which Parliamentary opinion confined it
when was originally designed and TO make u effective
If was opened by the application of the principle OF
compuson, without the and of which; OLD habits
interests will continue to nnillIy IT'S influence,
co1plete and permanent register OF ali dealings with
property the soil is high policy and plain necessity
ana must not be baked by the supineuess the obs
nacy OF individuals whose own interest will pro-
NOTED when they forced To aid IN carrying out that
purpose. In addition it will be necessary TO reconsider
The sca arrangements OF the office well OF the
Landed Estates Court to which 1t is attached, and TO
regstres easy for small Transactions and with
fees too moderate to bar approach TO them.
This is practical and professional matter, but of
the last Importance to Ireland. Remarks ON the
value of statistics as science, and of statistics IN
capable of taking theoretical views. The British
Association is Indifferent to neither, but is so
impartaly hOspitable to pure science and to applied
science that il might incur the scorn OF the great
philosopher who declared that it was degradation
TO geometry to seek to turn it to use.
Major Wilson's address to the Geographical Section
opens solder-ike, with a consideration of the In
fuence which the physical features of the earth's
crust have on the of military operations, and
the consequent Importance of geographical study
in war. He then takes a survey of what has been
done in geography during the year. Foremost in i'm
portance he reckons the publication of Dr. Schwein-
furths Great hopes are expressed OF the results
to be expected from Lieut.. Cameron. - trained
surveyor" on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Col.
Gordon's expedition Is alluded briefly, and Mr..
Stanley's still more coldly as which under the
auspices of an English and American newspaper
should not remain unnoticed." Mr.. MeGahan gets
word for his interesting notes" In America the
example of Yale College in sending out exploring
expeditions for the examining of some special dis
trct with reference to geography, geology, &C., is
quoted as one which might well be followed by
English and Irish universities. fresh attempt at
Arctic exploration is urged, by way of Smiths
Sound from which the most important scientific re-
suits may be looked tor-even the reaching OF the
Pole itself On this point, Major Wilson says:
when consider that these expeditions Arctic
travel reduced to perfect system, that the
distance from the point reached by the Polaris to the
Pole less than has already been performed IN some OF
the sedge journeys, and that no life has ever been lost
on a sledge Journey II is impossible 10 doubt that well
organized expedition would be able To reach the Polar
area In the words of a well-knOwn Arctic explorer
What remains to be done is "a mere heabite TO what
has already been accomplished" Morton the second
mate OF the POars the result OF his third voy
age that he Is more than convinced OF the practi
cabty aud possibility OF reaching the Pole, aud II
may express my opinion IL would be IN the words
attached To picture at the last exhibition OF the Aead
envy 10 London Ii is TO be DONE and England ought 10
DO it."
On Friday, in this section, DR.. Schweinfurth read
e L.. L Ill A shnr