New-York tribune., 1879-03-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
ENGLISH PERIODICALS.

The chief articles of interest IN the Coh,em-
porarV are "New Guinea and It's lnham'ah's' p'
Alfred Russell Wallace; Professor Geddes on tne
Uomeric Problem" by Edward A. Freeman; " Lsuits
and Hospital Nursing" by Warrington ha""I"'
"Noncv in Ancient Greece and Rome" by FRANCOIS
Icnormant; Cooperative Stores and Common sense
by the Rev. W L. Backley, and the " Migration oi
B,rds - by Dr. August Weismann. Mr. wallace VIII
ing from personal experience, and careful cstha'e VI
the most recent maps insists that Borneo' wmcn mas
hitherto been considered the largest island In the Wo
mnst for the future yield the first place to New Guinea
the central mass of which omitng the great pcnns"s
which form its two extremitics is about 700 nIles
long with an average width Of 500 miles county
about the S re OF the Austrian empire In the oPno
OF Mr. Wallace, the Papuans probably orh one ui'"
OF the most primitive type Of man when sun e. vi
,be globe and every fact relating TO their beautn an"
Invprtapt island will furnish important addition 10
the history Of our race. Mr.. Wallace makes no re.-
erence TO the pretended discoveries OF the huSIl'u
traveller. Lawson, whose "WandernGs IN New "nlt"'
was published about three years ago, ana uo'''''s
considers them nworthy ~ crodcnce. In the uu'lo
on Ladies and Hospital NuJinG' the writer pIeSon's
high standard for the conG Of successful nursing
which now fills so important place IN inc uc"r
mcnt OF the Sick and in the absence OF tne
requisite qualities IN professional at'euuahs' n'H"'
recommends the employment of trained huieS
ms supcrntendents, by which arrangement ne p'
ueves the most efficient nursing he secured, ana
which seems TO be free the objections which DeIons
10 most other systems. The subject IS hahd'eu VII"
great ability, and offers variety OF practical suss's
tions well worthy the attention OF humane ana o'ucN'
lent readers Money in Greece aud Rome Is a VaIU-
able historical discussion maintaining that through Tue
whole series OF Greek authors OF tho autonomous
pcrod there not the least trace or the lats '"'
which treats the gold and silver coinage merely as
conventional sign OF vaiuc, subject 10 the VIII VI 'o
sovereign OF the state" Taken whole the writer
regards the Greek money excellent, pure III meta"
exact,in weight its real vaue corresponding TO us
nominal value Nothing better has ncen done III 'hls
way by the best governed nations Of modern uiu'-
The ampcring with the currency in the Roman Empire
on the contrary produced The most disastrous effects
The theory became prevalent that the state had 'he
right TO seek relief from financial pressure by the deprc
fiation Of tho coinage This theory supported by
the mOncyed OgaTchy after their ascension 20 power
who sought to secure the adherence OF the popuaee
py helping debtors TO dciIaud thcr creditors Win
each successive Issue Of dcbased coin, men deep IN
debt were enabled free themselves from their Hd-
hiitlcs by paving nomnaly fun, but actually only
half or oue-thirj the amount they owed. From tHe
time OF Augustus the theory that the value OF money
depends solely tho viii of the soYcTeisn was more
and moro widely held. The faith placed in the cfiicial
signature which originally intended simply TO guar
antce the integrity OF the coin, fostcred tie temptation
10 abuse it, The consequences which fOliOWhy ncccs-
gary sequence from this fatal doctrine. the laudmad OF
despOt.m, are well known. Under the wise and able
administration OF Augustus the m-chlevou7 influence
ud not at make ltsCt til IDu utVlt many tdAS
"there succeeded to the throne some OF the most mon
,trous fools the word has seem In less than
century the change OF the money OF the state into nat
money" produced debasement Of the currency
which was turned largely TO account for their
prodieal dissOuteness. The systematic adulteIatiOns
Of tho coinage by imperial orders pro-
ducod such confusion as scarcely equaled
In the calamtou years OF tho fourteenth century
Errors frauds aud deeds OF violence followed each
other dark succession. always leading to the same
result in corrupted morals and commercial pancs The
periodical depreciation OF the currency caused universal
confusion which was length regarded less fatal
than the plague itself II til The sixteenth and
seventeenth century that the pJmicious fallacy OF
"nat money" demonstrated by wise and
courageous men in Italy in England. The paper de-
the attentive study OF the economist and states
man. AS its teaching less applicable to this age
and this country than TO the Grecan and Roman times,
nnless It be shown that the sovereignty OF the
people, in its abuse Of power is not so dangerous to
popular freedom as the sovereignty OF the despot.
me Nnictcenh Century treats OF the Financial Con-
dnion OF india" in a vigorous paper by Professor
Fawcett Alfred H. Wallace contributes an instructive
chapter OF natural history Animals and their Ma
tive County, among other articles there is an inter-
estiug memoir OF the late Bshop Dupanloup, with
An Actors Notes on Shakespeare" The Poor III
France" and "COoperative Stores" THO career OF
Bishop Dupanloup. whchis perhaps equally remarkable
10 It's ecclesasca and political relations is described
with great minuteueSs and discrimination, forming
valuable piece OF modern biography.
The IOrtnighHV for this month publishes Professor
YyndAs discourse before the Royal Institute on The
Electric Light" giving complete history Of the devel-
opment Of subject. with pungent remarks on its
practical application. The pOSthumous papers OF John
Stuart Mil Socialism," though in too fraGmentary
state TO possess any value, except as ihustra-
tons OF the writer's tendencies OF thought VIII attract
the attention of many readers as bearing on all mpOT-
tant question OF the day. Mr. Mill had formed the in
tenton Of writing book the subject and the four
chapters now printed the first rough drafts toward
the preparation Of the work.
The principal interest 10 American readers in this
number Of MacBtilda is found in AN American View
of Europe" q paper containing solemn criticism Of
the work entitled England from Back Window" by
j. NJ Bailey. the DanbuIy humoIst. The writer is az
incapable of taking Joke Balaam's and is
always al loss know whether our iacctOus country
man Is I'm TEST OF earnest His comments on Mr. Baileys
demurc drOlcry cyiuccs about much perception
The man who found Webster Dictionary very enter
tanning, only the chapters short.
The QtdYicriy FerjeC has a good article on LesSing
who would seem have been Rewritten TO death for
wear or two past not a very good article Bismarck,
discussion Of Dr. Sniless Works on SelfHelp," and
several rather iuceess papers on "NOncOniOrmlty,"
"Our Schools and SchOOlmates' Party Government
ana other subjects more attractve.--The EcSfm-
si treats Of Dr. Johnson pointing out The spots Of the
sun of the Papacv," "Tne Russians in Turkey" At
Ehauistun" MacchdvclI" and other topics which have
already been threshcd dry fOr further literary
The number unusually heavy for the fresh and versa
Tile Westminster"