New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-19
SCIENCE IN CONVENTION.
FOUR sIJBsECTIONs SIMULTANEOUSLY AT
WORK.

WORK
THE sPHCTER OF THE CONSTITUTION LAID AT LAST
FELLOWS AND FEILOwsHP-THE SECTIONS d.
VIDE INTO sUBsECTIONsA LARGE AMOUNT OF
WORK ACCOMPLISHED IN ALL DEPARTMENTS.
IRON THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
HARTFORD, Aug. 17.-TO-day the American
Association has formally settled and laid at rest is to
be hoped considerable term Of years. the question
which has long racked the brains Of standing COM
mtees and set the whole body by the ears at almost
every annual session. After what has seemed an inter
minable wrange that involved all conceivable pos
sibties, including at questions that lay at the
foundation Of the organization and little nceties OF
phraseoogy such as the distinction between saying
"between" and "among" members, the ewConstitu-
ton Is at last altered and rected that none were
found to oppose II when II was finally put upon It's pass
age. 1t Is compromise Of course Such struggles can
only end in separation compromise; but the main oo
ject Of Of the change is accomplished. men
of science will in all human probability control mere
after the management and the movements OF the Asso
c,aon and mere charlatanism and the advertising ele
| ment win be kept on the outside.
II ia not small matter that the most influential body
OF scientific in the country should feel anxious 10
have their Association free from suspicion II every
man who has hobby to ride that Frances all over the
fields Of imagination outside OF the established walks
OF science and II every that has patented process
or machine factory an insurance company OF
a nostrum, or q fertilizer to advertise. Can by mere
| membership with the Association come In on equal
| terms in its management with the self-sacri1ciDg.
ardent studious men who are conducting 1t, and be
raised into notorey by cngng to their skirts the end
would not be far distant TIE whole concern might as
well be sold out to Barnum at once. and though much
valuable time been spent in settling this business
and adopting the new constitution il is time lost indeed
! but not wasted.
The venerable Prof. Henry among this mornings
arrivals At the morning session be was appointed 10
fill a vacancy in the standing Committee, occasioned by
the departure Prof W. B. Rogers, and ne afterward
presided over Section A. The preparation OF obituary
memoirs of deceased members was assigned ms foiows
Prof. Swallow OF St. Louis to prepare memoir OF the late
Col Foster Prof Thurber Of NewYork OF the late Pro
Torrey; Prof. Guyot Of Princeton, Of the late Prof
Agassz. These selections snguarly appropriate
The Secretary read number Of hOspitabe invitations
to visit the State Prison. the Wesleyan University the
| Granite Polishing Works, the Sand Blast Works. Prof
j. E. Hilgard as member Of the Committee on weights
and Measures reported progress, and the Committee
was continued. Prof. Hitchcock reported the progress
OF q committee to advance the production OF geological
maps the United States and TO urge measures to this
| end before Congress. Prof. Asa Gray, chairman
| OF committee to decide on the Of the
| $1,000 fund presented by Mrs. Elizabeth ThOmp-
| son, presented their report. They recommend TO
| have engraved and printed, the memoir OF
Prof Scudder on Fossil Butterflies The fund Is for the
promotion and publication OF original Investigations.
The Committee Preservation OF Forests represented
by Prof. Asa Gray. reported at length their progress,
and the bill for establishing Commission or For
estry had passed the United States House of Repre-
sentaves ard is favoraby regarded by the Senate One
OF the members OF tins Committee made donation OF
SIS to the Association being the amount expended for
printing, &C., in connection with this undertaking.
| The new constitution, with final alterations. was
brought up for consideration. After the instrument
had been read Prof Lawrence Smith pointed out the
leading features of Improvement The chemists were
provided the regulations for subsectons, which
left at undant liberty Of seSovernment The con-
sttuton at length adopted without q dissenting
vote. motion made by Prof. Barker that the new
constitution take effect at the next meeting and lie ac-
cepted an amendment of Prof. Lyman providing that
certain details OF organization might be carried out
| now under the provisions OF the new constitution
| Theu with great sigh Of relief aud many exchanges
| of congratulations the settlement OF the most
troublesome business that has disturbed the Asso
citation, the meeting divided into Sections and b. The
sections split up subsectiOns for dispatch of bust
ness dividing into chemistry on the one side and
mathematics and physics on the other separating
into Biology aud Geology. 1 send you abstracts OF
part of the papers which were read.