New-York tribune., 1876-10-16
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.


~ THE CHEMICAL sECnoN-PbOfEssoR YOUNG
OK TIE EABTH's AGF
oy AZ OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE rRIBuNE'i
,ssoyy Sent. The forty-sixth annual meet
.,oftbe British Association began in this city last
80 This Association, which is devoted to the
,i.on,oiion OF science, has newspaper history
I,iob may he very briefly stated. When its exist
h.c,r if was lidculcd by The Time, and Punch.
- it was patronzed 10y these publications; but
- they acknowledge its merits. Its actual history
sorite different. 1t has really been devoted TO the
,n,erosts Of science from the beginning. In It's
inc fhere has been a free field for the express
-, If the most advanced, as well as the most con-
.orvatiye views. Nor have those who have NAM
.oi,cd middle ground felt that their months were
,losod here Among its presidents, Sir Roderck
,I,r.bi.on. the Duke Of Argyll Professor Tyndall'
s. William Thomson, Sir John llawkShaw, nave
ns,baps been the most prominent The range OF
s,Iect. it has discussed las embraced every ques-
.ion If speculative and applied science. The meet
i1ost night was devoted TO the address of the In
oor,;po urcsident, Prof Andrews of Belfast. 1t
,-os held in Kibble Palace, which has hereto
fore been filled by audiences gathered to
hear Di,racli and Moody and Sankey, but never,
am told. better filed than il was last night Sir
lobn Haykshaw the retiring President introduced
his successor in speech in which he alluded TO ms
recent visit TO the United States, and gave the So
cietv warning that if its members were supihe
tbey might expect that Americans would take the
lead Of them. On the platform were the Lord Iio-
vo.t of Glasgow the Duke of Argyll, Lord Ollagan,
Sir George Campbell, late Governor of Bengal;
Lieut. Cameron, and scientists without number
'be address of Prof Andrews was devoted to sur
cy of recent scientific discoveries. Ii was a we'll
ritten address, in which only moderate views were
expressed. The Professor is a native OF OiasG"W' Il
graduate Of its University and has devoted hs lie
- EXPERIMENTAL chemistry, in which he IS insh
authority Near the close Of the address when ne
read closely without any attempt at oIatoIy, he
opposed endowed research" and advocated a
rider range of university education IN the United
1,ingloin. These views met with much sympathy
from his audience. motion of thanks was moved
ly the Duke of Argyll in fine speech, delivered IN
a very earnest manner and was seconded by Sir W.
Thomson who spoke in a besitatng way. as though
he had not words at his command in which 10 eX-
,ress his ideas. Altogether the opening meeting
,,r,rnised well for those that are to follow.
To-day after its usual mode of procedure, the So
cty has resolved itself into sections, each of which
has its own particular line of subjects to consider
and discuss All these sections have been hard at
work. and their results may be briefly gwen Sec
fiona, which has for its subjects Mathematics
aud "Physcs," is presided over by Sir w. Ihom-
SON. who.chosc for his subject, Science in Amer
icg.7 in which he made frequent allusons to ms
recent visit to that country. lie said he had been
.,reatly impressed with what he had seen while on
his Journey lie was much struck with the patient,
parSeyernc thoroughness OF work, both in the Great
Exhibition and out of it,. He expected confidently
that America would soon supply the data for tidal
observations winch the association had long asked IN
VAN fronthe Government at home. When this was
done they could measure the elastic yielding of the
earth to the Influence of the sun andmoon lie conf
deutlyhoped too that the American Navy would soon
pavback the debt il owodtO France, England Ger
many BY its observations OF the compass, and supply
the means to the navigator for correcting 1t without
sight of the moon or stars. From this, Sir William
went on 10 survey different geological speculations,
and gave 1t his opinion that the theory that the
earth was a mere SHE'LL resting on liquid mass,
was wholly untenabe.
Section c, Geology" had forts president Prof.J.
YnuII. In hi, opening address he saij "Twuty-ouc
wears ago the meeting Of this section was presided
over bv Sir Roderick MUrchison aud they were
charmed and instructed by Lyell, Hugh Miller,
Agassiz. JuEe~. Homor, and Robert Chambers. Their
voices were now still But the changed condition
would be met by such men as Nico, Egerton, Oar
win. Ramsay, and Others Glasgow and It's vicinity
was especially favorable for geological observations.
The appointment of Prof. Young president of this
section indicates more rational views in the assOca-
many Of its members. Much of what hc said to-day
was in striking opposition to what some of them
have expressed in the past. He said Sir w. Thom-
son had done good service by calling in question on
physical grounds the indefinite extension back
ward Of geological time" "Both biological and
geological evolution" he said, had limit in time"
The date at which the earth became inhabahle
might be approximately fixed To suppose other
wise indicated bigotry and conceit. Did time per
init De could show the folly Of adhering to long
used and worn-Out phraseology. "Upcast aud
downcast. upthroW and dowuthrOw, displacement
uuwaris and dOwnwards, were miScheyous terms.
because they were calculated to mslcad.' II must
be accepted a. certain that there is limit TO the
duration Of the earth in the past. To fix this time
was impossible for no one could tell the allowance
that must be made for all possible changes in tie
earths axis and the rate at which the earth loscs
heat. The geologst had asked for more time, not
because he felt the need of it, but because his
zo5logist brother did.
Section D. Biology" was presided over by A.
Russell Wallace, esq who in his opening, took occa-
sion to call in question Darwiu's theory OF the in
lucnce eff sex. lie also skctched the history Of the
modern doctrine of the antiquity Of man. bat beyond
this there was nothing of marked interest in what
he said
Section had for its president Capt. Evans.
Iydrographev to the Admiralty. The subject
signed to it was Geography. The president in his
address spoke Of the fruits of Lieut.. Camcron's
explorations. and move at length of the voyage Of
the Challenger more accurate idCa Of the oaTtRs
surface could now De gained. The water ia the
ocean ranges Of the southern hemisphere was shown
TO be much shallower than in the northern, which
have their depths 10000 TO 23 500 feet in the North
Atlantic and North Pacific. One thing common to