The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-17
ORR EUROPEAN LETT .ER.

for Announcement Of Science in Eng
land.-A ,,csc System of Bookkecp-
ina necessary.- 81 The Future Of Eng
iish and Amercdu Ag,itulf,we, ETC.,
\ etc. IN W W
LoxDoN,.Eng., Sept. 80, 1879.
The British Association for the Ad- |
yancement of Science has been holding
its annual meeting, and tho Metropoli- |
tan Commissioner of Police has pre-
scnted his annual report TO Her Maj
csty's Secretary of State. THERE'S no
necessary connection between these
occurrences, but the calm and dispas-
sionate observer will not fail to see,
taking the two together, that the ad-
yancement of science or, as l might
rather say, the endeavor to advance
scientific discoveries, Is not attended
with corresponding advancement of
good morals or a diminution of the
crimes of the dangerous classes in this
country. In that process of "evolu-
ton" which engrosses the attention of
many of our great scientists fail to
see the progress of rogue into an hon.
est man. hear of GEOLOGY" and 'pro-
ltoplasm," with other big names; but at
the same time the fact is painfully
brought to notice not only of an increase
of crime but also of its commencement
at an ago not found in the records of
former times. Boys not more than
eight years old are brought into the
dock of q criminal court and punished
for their iniquities. Our philosophers
would do better think by endeavoring
TO find out the ;ause, SO as to stop this
|, downward progress, than by their pom
derous labors to discover what Provi-
dence has decreed they shall not dis
: cover, and to discover the secret OF
: "protoplasm" which protoplasm will
not reveal. Man has not microscopic
eye. The proceedings of the British
s Association are said to have been con.
: stitutcd of"the cream and quintessencC
q of the latest teaching of biological sci
ence," but these latest teachings are
simply the teaching of Oldest ideas in O
S new way. eve are still cropping
C round the old problems" said the
+ Times, in commenting upon the Asso
. cations meeting, (which i'll the morn
. ing of knowledge fascinated the intelli
+ gence and excited the curiosity of Ioniar
It sages." Those old thinkers put Il
s themselves the question-What is life
q and what is matter, and what is the in
forming principle which runs through
!, all living thingsp eve, too, when th,
d world Is old, are still propounding will
II undated interest the same question
r. which go down to the roots OF our be
. ing; and scarcely a president of tn
o British Association fails to moot in hi
i" address some of the very problem
.s which exercised Dcmocritus or Epicu
rus hundreds of years ago. But th
modern investigation is different
II While improbable discussion is goin
Il OH, crime increases, and children be
:, come initiated in vice at an age. whc
1t in other times they would not hav
q, been out of the nursery.
IL While cotton-spinners are breakin
N and spindles not flying, coal mines AZ
=, bursting and death is destroying. w
!" hear from all sides the results of 9Th
is war of no caution and the ruin of som
~ riot" amidst capitalists and laborers i
y the industrial districts. Lancashire
~ going the way of all flesh in her cottor
'e spinning, and Stailordshire Is doin
G. ditto in her coal mines. Meantim
le there are predictions of more bank
as breaking; but let us hope with ditlerer
.
" of England Bank" whose directors al
CT just now convicted of false balanc,
tn sheets and sent to the next sessions ft
rs criminal prosecution, though each
;, out Oh heavy bail bonds. The "art" {
;" bookkeeping nowadays by "single {
IN double entry" is such charming faci
ut ity to blind the best of us in figures tn
II The next reform will be show not
49, keep books" but how to promo
Vi ''ready cash."
re Agriculture is clearly losing pursu
w in England. Two adverse circumsta
~ ces such as never met before have cor
bined to make ii so-failure of crops
W. home and enormous competition frc
ell abroad. What is to be the remedy Fl
all this? How long will the china
prove adverse? How far will the coI
petition extend? The former must, !
DC doubt, mend some time. Crops W
raj grow again no doubt as we'll as they d
gs before; but will the imports dimini
Oh i'm quantity, and SO bring about an i
y, ". crease in prices? or will they go on i
'h' creasing as they have lately done, al
Die so lower prices still further? confe
lat that all the evidences appear to lean
!. q the view that the competition In agl
cultural produce is only beginnin
no New land Westward in America is b
sat ing rapidly broken up, taken into t
i'll lage, sown universally with wheat, al
: producing returns which annually gro
larger and larger. The surplus corn
'ar America is thus increased, and the
crease finds its principal market
lp- Great Britain arc becoming altered, al
~, that force of circumstances will at son
~ near date compel radical transform
he ton in the relations WHICH at prese
is exist between tillage and tenure In {
an United Kingdom.
No The people of England, while tn
-" are proud of their prestige, are nevf
OF theless getting tired oftoo much foreil
he war. Cabul is still calamitous su
mi iect, and the cost and consequences a
in seriously weighed in the balance
public opinion and public good. Su
Try scenes OF extravaganza, corruption, al
we expense as must paralyze the indnst
of and mar the fortunes of the most indl
an trious, spirited people that ever existe
is now seriously debated by the Ian
'rc owner, the manufacturer, the merchal
he the mechanic, and everybody. Il
it scathing party critics are out, and Ora
or Duff leads the way boldly and potent