will not be deteriorated, but improved, by constant in- something to make them longer-lived, by expending crease of better work. And Lancashire people, chang-more coal, and driving currents of warmed air through ing from the cotton mills to the forge and metal working, the mills, and taking thought for healthy dwellings for will betake themselves, the men to work and the women them when they leave the mill to sleep or eat. But in to the domestic cares of their families, with a much a Lancashire climate they must work in enclosure. God's larger sphere of happiness than in the present processes, own wind cannot play upon them, laden with all the wherein men, women, and children work in the mill to-health-giving influences of nature, and they will be gether, guiltless of all knowledge of the domestic arts, etiolated and monotonous-they will not be a people of knowing nothing but how to spin and weave cotton, and joyous temperament, finding pleasure in mere vitality, in short times wearing ragged garments from absolute the mere act of living. The incessant drowsy hum of ignorance of the knowledge how to mend them. wheels will infallibly check exuberant impulses, will act as a governor" on their nerves, till they become as a part of the machine they tend. They are artificial beings, and not humanity in its whole sense.

And not the least amongst the advantages will be the increase in the numbers of a fine physical race of men, fitted to do battle for freedom, if need be, against the continental chattels of centralisation, a process that makes and protects grown children but not men. I like not the condition of humanity similar to that of elder Thebes, the glory of which rose and set with Epaminondas and Pelopedas. A central Solon, doing all things for his people, and leaving nothing to be done by themselves, would put them into the exact condition to be undone by a tyrant or a fool-a Nicholas or a Bomba. Municipality may induce much folly, much roguery; but wisdom and honesty may also exist in sample and in competition. But, alas, for the centralisation that can only set forth one example, and that a bad one.

Let us, however, have no misunderstanding. I do not wish or propose that our whole people should consist of fair-haired and blue-eyed giants. No truth is more certain than that all human beings are born with peculiar aptitudes, all useful if applied to fitting purposes, and sometimes very mischievous if misapplied. The brawny Saxon tills the ground, and drains the bog, and builds the house, the shop, and the steam-engine, and the road and railway; he makes the rough places smooth on the land, and furrows the tracks of ocean with his great broad business-like hand, that wields the spade, and the axe, and the hammer, and holds the tiller and wheel with a grip like that of a vice. But the more delicately organised Celt, with nerves like lute-strings and not like cart-ropes, gives us the poetry of life,-music, painting, sculpture, architecture, and the infinite variety of things cognate to them. Without the Saxon navvies, we might perchance build temples, but we should dwell in wigwams and bothies. Without the Celt, we should dwell in barns, guiltless of all art save that of the beaver-made construction. The Saxon element conquers and governs; the Celtic element adorns; and therefore is it that France, indigenously a Celt producing country, sometimes makes colonies with ornamental appliances but no substructure. Lacking the instincts of government to follow up the conquest of enthusiasm, there is no permanence, and therefore Canada and other colonies fall into English hands; and thus, if the genius of disorder for any length of time plunges France into trouble, her colony of Algiers, left to itself, may again become a nest of pirates and a pest to the Mediterranean, in which case it will have to be conquered and governed by England and her ocean police, and what can be made to grow out of it according to its natural capabilities will then be seen.

The union of Saxon and Celt, or other cognate races, with climate and soil superadded, makes Englishmen, probably as Rome of old was made by constant provincial aggregation and absorption. But this union will not make cotton spinners and weavers such as are desired by Lancashire mill-owners. Physical strength is clearly in stnall demand, else, why resort to shoals of women and children. Quiet, gentle, docile people, partaking more of the nature of women than of men, indisposed to riot or rebel, obedient as the machine to the hand of the engineer, soft and silky as the cotton they help to form into threads and webs, are the mill-owners' human staple. We can, doubtless, produce and mould such people, and by following the farmers' examples, do it more effectually than has yet been done, by selecting the stock, instead of taking it at random. We might even do

66

Mr. Chadwick says, "moral character and trustworthiness must now be sought to work valuable machines." Quite true; but a very low order of clockwork morals and regularity, compatible with "doing no wrong," and also compatible with the exercise of no virtue in the high sense. Morals, in mere abstract political economy, have reference chiefly to absence of waste and absence of thieving. A man in whose mind there never sprung up a single impulsive generous emotion, a mere dull duty grinder, to look upon whom is an opiate, reckons in mere politico-economical logic as highly as the man whose soul is cast in heroic mould. It is still a world of strife; and in a wider political economy, the hero still counts for much. He is the assurer of the worker-the guarantee that the wealth of the worker shall not be taken away by fierce tribes of barbarians lurking in civilised garbs. He is the upholder of that freedom which alone induces profitable work, and the absence of which may account for the lessened result of overtime labour. The turn-outs and strikes, viewed from this aspect, are not altogether losses, but wholesome stimuli as well, and we can conceive a state of things in which docile people might be kept by shrewd, calculating (and not cruel) masters in a condition to give the maximum of production, without any exertion of energy tending to raise them from the ranks,-nominally free men, as the dog or cat is free, but under the necessity of seeking a master for daily rations, without any choice between one master and another, all in dead level, and a universal equality of rations. I should certainly not covet to be either master or man in such a community.

In a large political economy, then, the question must occur, as to what are, not merely the possible employments, but what are the best employments for a nation having regard to the attainment of a generally elevated. manhood, and what are the trades which should be discountenanced. If it could be proved that any particular trade tended to make the particular employers wealthy, and to spread a damaging pauperism over the community, it would be quite as competent for the State to prohibit such trades, as it does the kidnapping of girls for infamous purposes. Without, therefore, disputing the advantages that have economically accrued to England by a long monopoly of the trade of spinning and weaving cotton, the question now is, whether it is worth while cultivating a mere competitive trade with low-priced labour, at the cost of breeding and increasing a race physically inferior in general humanity to what might be kept up by adhering to more indigenous employments, the more especially when we have in India men without limit, the natural growth of a soil and climate peculiarly adapted to the spinning and weaving of cotton; and the more especially, when all Lancashire may ultimately be employed in producing the machinery for cotton-spin-ning, just as Switzerland produces watches.

I am not proposing to pull down Lancashire cotton-mills, but simply pointing out that a time is nearer at hand than is generally supposed, when the exotic trade originally imported from India to Lancashire, and protected by circumstances for a long period of years, must, by force of natural circumstances, again return to India; and that, so far from this being a cause of regret, it should be a

cause of rejoicing, for it will improve the general staple of humanity in England, and render every human body and mind therein the recipient of a larger amount of comfort and happiness. I should like to see the time when every man in England could be a soldier, perfect at all points-not necessarily a soldier, but practically able to be so if required, with a national motto, "Nemo me impune lacessit," and not the Scottish thistle, with the arrogant "Wha daur meiddle wi' me?" which almost seems a version of the Irish invitation, "Will any jantleman thrade upon me tail," but the wholesome blooming briar rose, beautiful to eye and nostril, yet drawing blood sharply from the rifling hand seeking rudely to rob its blossoms.

While writing the above, Mr. Chadwick's phrase," It was an aphorism of the father of the cotton manufacture in England, Mr. John Kennedy, of Ardwick-hall, lately deceased," has been puzzling me, for I have always understood that there were two fathers: Arkwright, who invented the "throstle," and Crompton, who afterwards invented the "mule." There was a Mr. John Kennedy, a worthy, painstaking Scot, who wrote a book, after making a large fortune; and he states in that book, "I came from Scotland as a mechanic, barefoot, to learn cotton spinning in Manchester," or words to that effect, but I shall have the book shortly, and will quote more accurately.

Now, this Mr. John Kennedy was a manly-minded man, without vulgar pride, who was utterly above the meanness of seeking to appropriate other men's reputation. He possessed portraits of all the chiefs and leaders in cotton, and descanted on them from time to time without hinting at any peculiar merit in himself. Now, is this the same Mr. John Kennedy alluded to by Mr. Chadwick? If it be, this looseness of statement in a paper of statistics gives an apocryphal air to the whole. Perhaps Mr. Chadwick will give us a short biographical notice of the Mr. John Kennedy he alludes to, as a question of historical accuracy, to put his paper on a proper footing.

I shall be glad if the editor will forward a copy of this to the Moniteur, in which Mr. Chadwick's paper was published. It is a subject which can hardly be too much discussed, and the acute French intellect will readily understand that man in the abstract is not a mere politicoeconomical syllogism, to be reasoned upon after the farmer fashion, sacrificing all other ovine qualities to the one consideration of producing good mutton-or cotton.

THE WORKING CLASSES OF EUROPE. As the pages of the Journal contained, some months since, an analysis of a volume on the condition of the Working Classes of Europe, published last year at Paris, by M. Le Play, Councillor of State, under the title of "Les Ouvriers Européens," it may be interesting to the members to know a few particulars concerning the success of that publication, probably the most complete ever brought out on this branch of social economy so intimately connected with the advancement of manufacturing and commercial industry.

Imperial Printing Office, it may be useful to learn that an abridged resumée of M. Le Play's System of Research has just been published, in the form of an octavo pamphlet, by M. Augustin Cochin, the eminent French philanthropist.

In pursuance of a report drawn up by M. Dupin, the French Academy has awarded to M. Le Play the Montyon Prize for 1855, with an invitation to continue his statistical investigations; and in furtherance of these, a special society has just been formed, under Imperial sanction, of which M. Le Play himself has consented to become honorary secretary.

One of its purposes is to grant pecuniary rewards to persons in France and other countries, who may send in essays on the local condition of the working classes, framed in accordance with the directions contained in the Society's statutes. Of these, copies have been deposited for inspection at the offices of the Society of Arts, Adelphi, and of the Statistical Society, St. James's-square.

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THE WELLINGTON MONUMENT IN

GUILDHALL.

This monument has just been erected. The finishing touches, however, have not yet been given. It consists of a group of three colossal figures, representing the Duke between peace and war, and a relievo, introduced below, of the Battle of Waterloo. It contains about 20 tons of white Italian marble, and has been executed in two years, at a cost to the City of £5,000. Mr. Bell, from whose studio it proceeds, was on the Council of the Society of Arts during the two years prior to the Exhibition of 1851, when that scheme was agitating. At the request of the Society he also prepared its manuals of freehand outline, and he is now one of its Board of Examiners.

SIR,-When I wrote my remarks on the subject of the "Bessemer Process," which appeared in your Journal of the 31st ult., I thought I had expressed myself clearly, candidly, and temperately, but it appears your correspondent Mr. H. W. Reveley has strangely misunderstood me, and he does not hesitate to impute motives, both to myself and to manufacturers generally, which ought to be disclaimed as being unworthy of the present time.

It is a fact not easily to be accounted for, that in England, where the importance of the subject is generally so well ap- I am sure it is not true, that either the leading practipreciated, M. Le Play's work has excited comparatively cal men, or the manufacturers generally of this great little attention. In Fance, the sale of the work has far country, which derives its foremost position from its zeal exceeded the expectation of its author, and more than 200 for improvements, both in the arts and sciences, have, copies have been disposed of in other continental countries, as he asserts, “ a deep-rooted antipathy to all changes ;” nor to say nothing of orders received from more distant parts is it correct that they are influenced by such unworthy of the world, whilst the bookseller, Mr. Jeffs, of Burlington-motives as to combine to defeat any man's improvement, arcade, the appointed agent for this country, has scarcely because such individual may have secured it to himan order to report. self by patent; much less is it possible that the iron trade could abstain from adopting, even at a great cost, (however disposed to do so, as has been imputed to them,) any mode in making iron or steel which would produc

To those persons who may have been rather deterred by the size of the volume than attracted by the typographical perfection with which it has been got up at the

a saving of 40s. per ton, as it was asserted by Mr. Bessemer would be the result of introducing his process. That which all manufacturers who know their business oppose, is the dictation of men who, being mere theorists and experimentalists, have the assurance to try to teach those whose whole attention has been directed to acquire a knowledge of their own business,-teachers whose confidence in assertion is greatly pro rata with their ignorance. Imagining themselves to have something new, and something excellent, but very partially understanding the true nature of what they may be dealing with, they jump to conclusions which the more experienced readily see to be erroneous; and, prompted by men more ignorant than themselves, they do not hesitate to condemn those of whose judgment and knowledge their own is but a bare reflex at the best, and generally so imperfect as only to distort, nay, not unfrequently to imperil, the

truth.

My friend Mr. Hall, whose B.B.H. iron is known everywhere as superior, and whose make cannot be less than 1.000 tons per week, has offered to give a large sum for Mr. Bessemer to distribute among the public charities, if he will either excel him in quality or economy, and has also offered every facility for Mr. Bessemer to apply his process at the Bloomfield works, a challenge as fair as Mr. Reveley could desire; but a life-time of experience has already shown Mr. Hall all that Mr. Bessemer has done, and much more than he has yet produced.

WROUGHT IRON.

SIR,-The various processes now under discussion for the conversion of crude cast iron, are all, without exception, a revival of the Catalan forge under different circumstances and adaptations, and it may not be perhaps without its use to give a short account of that ancient and still practised method of producing bar iron, as well as to show at the same time the identity of the processes both old and new.

The Catalan forge is merely a common smith's hearth on a very extensive scale, furnished with a powerful water-blast of not much less than 14 lbs. to the inch. The blast is produced by two or more old-fashioned blowing trunks, simply set in action by a fall of water from 20 to 30 feet in height. The hearth of the forge is very long, with a pool or basin immediately under the blast, and the tuyère, or nozzle, points downwards to the centre of the basin, at an angle of about 45°. A large quantity of chesnut wood charcoal is piled upon the hearth from end to end, and supposing the fuel ignited, the ore, as it comes from the mine, about three or four bushels at a time, is thrown on at the further end, in order to be gradually roasted as it is slowly stirred onwards to the more heated portion of the fuel, where it ultimately falls into the basin in the form of fluid castiron. After the lapse of ten or fifteen minutes, occupied by the fireman in stirring the melted mass with a long iron bar, it becomes converted, by the combination of an intense hollow fire with the powerful water-blast, into a rough ingot or ball of malleable iron, which is hooked out and slipped under the water hammer, where it is drawn into commercial bar iron. No flux whatever is

Away, then, with the notion that the ironmasters are unwilling to adopt improvements; nay, it is essential to their existence to encourage them; and the fact that so many came from all parts to see, at Baxter-house, Mr. Bessemer's experiments, proves how ready,they are to ex-used with the ore, but water is abundantly sprinkled over amine every attempt towards improvement, but which is (in this quarter at least) yet to come, as I said in my last, from something still unspecified."

the outside of the burning mass of fuel in order to prevent useless combustion and concentrate the heat where most wanted. For finer descriptions of bar, the first Having satisfied Mr. Reveley, I trust, on this head, I make is faggoted as usual, and again drawn out until it will now simply again put forward Mr. Bessemer's pro-has acquired its ultimate state of toughness and tenacity. posal as it was given to me:-"That his process was to make malleable iron of pure quality direct from the pig, was to save the forge process, by enabling the manufacturer to roll the ingot or product of his furnace at once into the bar, or rail, or plate, as required." Thus, a saving of 40s. per ton was to be achieved, and not only so, but the quality was to be more equal and pure than is attained by any mode of operation previously known or at present practised.

Who cannot see the identity of the action of the Catalan forge with the puddling and finery processes, as well as with those of Bessemer and Martien? In the old method the smelting, puddling, and finery operations are all performed at one and the same time, as well as continuously, as fresh ore and fuel are added as fast as they are removed or consumed, so as to lose neither time nor heat; and though the operations may appear to be on a small scale, as they are continued day and night without cessation, the produce is large, and direct from the ore without further manipulation.

By putting aside the whole forge process, viz., the necessary fuel and use of the puddling furnace, the shingling, rolling in the forge, and piling for the mill, no In Bessemer's and Martien's processes, the blast is updoubt such saving would accrue; therefore, any such pro-wards; in the Catalan forge, downwards; but the result position could not possibly be overlooked by the trade, is the same, for the water blast is sufficiently powerful to as every individual interest would be involved, and penetrate the melted and well-stirred mass, and to connecessitate its universal adoption, if only once introduced. vert it from crude cast-iron into malleable bar. But none of these, however, have yet been set aside, as insuperable objections are discovered and noted by the ironmasters in the proposed plan; indeed, on examination, it will prove to be more uncertain and more expensive than the method in common use.

Mr. Bessemer has done nothing more than is the result of Mr. Martien's patent, and it is questionable whether the process of the latter can be used with advantage; while it is less pretentious, as it does not attempt to do away with the forge process, but only to purify and economise in a moderate degree.

I could give a full detail of the ordinary process of manufacture, and point out where the difficulties of these inventions must arise, but it would be too extended for a mere letter, as it would embrace so many points of interest, that, to do it justice, it should rather take the form of a paper for your Society, than appear among your correspondence.

I am, &c.,

THOMAS M. GLADSTONE.

11, Austin Friars, Nov. 11, 1856.

I am not prepared to speak as to the relative economy of the Catalan process, but may observe that it requires a very small capital to set up, beyond the necessary water power.

In regard to the properties of the water blast, I can state from the experience I have had of two high smelting furnaces in the same works, and under similar circumstances, with the exception of one being worked by the water blast, while the other was supplied with the dry blast from an engine, that when malleable iron was required, the pig from the water blast was infinitely superior to that produced by the dry blast, and that when fine soft pig for casting was wanted, the latter had greatly the advantage, but no sharp castings can be made from charcoal furnaces.

The position of the tuyères has also great influence on the quality of the pig. When they are inclined downwards towards the centre of the hearth, as in the Catalan forge and water-blast high smelting furnaces, white hard pig is produced, but when they are horizontal, soft grey pig is the result.-I am, &c., HENRY W. REVELEY.

Poole, Dorset, Nov. 10, 1856.

AMPHIBIOUS CARRIAGES.

SIR-Mr. Bourne having applied to me for drawings of Sir Samuel Bentham's amphibious carriages, my attention has been drawn to the navigation of the smaller rivers of India, and I herewith trouble you with a copy of my letter to him. I had also informed him that Sir Samuel had found no difficulty in steering the jointed vessels he invented.

26, Wilton-place, 10th November.

STENOGRAPHIC MACHINE.

sals, fastened in proper frame work, in which these longer rods are securely fixed. To the unattached ends of these latter rods are the four pointers or tracers, which trace the motions made in the articulation of speech.

It may here be observed, that none of these natural motions are straight, but each word forms a combination of curves, proportioned in their size to the vehemence or lowness with which the words are uttered.

The tracers are placed in sockets, to which are attached small helical springs; from each of these tracers is a small wire, fastened to a string, by which the speaker lifts the pencils from the paper at the termination of each word or syllable.

"A principal objection to the navigation of the lesser rivers of India, is that they are liable to have their course obstructed by rocks and rapids. It has, there fore, occurred to me that this difficulty might be obviated by constructing a short railroad at such places to convey the boats themselves, without unloading them, The pointers must have small adjusting springs to and resuming navigation when the rocks and rapids keep them in position, before and after using. The head should be passed. It would be easy to keep a supply is to be kept steady in speaking, so as to give regularity of wheels at each station, so that the navigable vessels to the written or traced lines. The method of trial which should not be encumbered by them, and the wheels I adopted was extremely simple-consisting of two slides might speedily be attached, as was proved in the in- or guides for the carriage, on which was fastened the stance of Sir Samuel Bentham's amphibious carriage. tracing paper-a long screw, a spur wheel, catch and No engineering difficulty or costly works would be re-handle. At each word or syllable I moved a tooth. And quired for a kind of dock at each station, where the although the motions were not well defined, from the boats might be hauled on to the rail. In some cases loose construction of the machine, they were sufficiently the force of gravitation might be made available by the satisfactory to establish a belief, that if a machine were descending boat and cargo drawing up the ascending one." perfectly constructed, and regularity given to the motion I am, &c., M. S. BENTHAM. of the carriage by further mechanical arrangement, the pointers being so adjusted as to give clear room for the movements of each tracer, so that they need not be lifted until the completion of each word, or not at all, it SIR,-As I am not aware that any stenographic or short-would give not only the time taken in uttering a speech, hand machine has ever been constructed or invented, the following description of such an effort may not be uninteresting as a preliminary to a fuller development of the contrivance. The most essential conditions for such a machine, are quickness and precision; so that the slowest as well as quickest speakers shall have, not only their speech, but their idiomatic peculiarities and manner of motions of the tongue. To obtain them correctly may be The chief difficulty will be in obtaining correctly the delivery clearly represented, as nearly as art can do it. A stenographic letter or type machine will never ac- sufficient accuracy to give a varied form to the expression an insuperable difficulty-yet they may be obtained with complish this, being of a mechanical nature, and not of each word, which is all that can be required. If one possessing the expression of sound, if I may so say, linguadental tracer be not sufficient for the purpose, in its arrangement. I constructed two different machines on this principle some months ago and al- one or two others might be added, with small horizontal pieces attached for the tongue. The larynx, though considerable dexterity could be acquired in their vocal chords, and guttural and nasal sounds I have not manipulation, I did not think the plans good enough for considered, as I think they will be found more useful in further prosecution. I therefore reflected on the sugges- the modulation of tone, than in the formation of speech. tion, that all speech is the result of motional arrange- Walker, in his "Observations on the Greek and Latin ment-chiefly of the tongue and lips; and that the Accent," says, "But till the human voice, which is the articulation of different words required a corresponding change in muscular motion. I naturally concluded, if same in all ages and nations, is more studied and better access could be obtained to these speech-producing I despair of conveying my ideas of this subject with understood, and till a notation of speaking sounds is adopted, motions, they could, by mechanical means, be trans-sufficient clearness." He afterwards expresses his conferred to paper. This transfer I partly effected in the viction that the ancients had a notation of speaking following rough way:-I got four pieces of plane- sounds, and states that he had formed one for himtree, one for the chin, one for each lip, and one for the self, and that he hopes some one will be able to unravel tongue. Each of these pieces I had thinly cut and

but also the time and nature of accent on each word or sentence. The practised ear, by means of the stethoscope, can readily detect the unhealthy affections of the lungs; so I think as readily may the practised eye detect the peculiarities of words and speech (to coin a word) by means of the vocalagraph.

Manchester, Nov. 17, 1856.

THOMAS ALMGILL.

formed to suit their respective places. That for the this mystery in letters, which has long been the approtongue was, as I foresaw, most difficult to arrange; how-brium et crux grammaticorum, the reproach and torment of grammarians. I am yours, &c., ever, I did arrange it so as to produce motion, though imperfectly. To each of these pieces I had a thin piece of slightly elastic thread passing round the head, to keep' them in position when acted on by the organs of speech. To each of these pieces I had jointed four other long pieces of about eight inches respectively, and not quite so thick as an ordinary penholder. That, of course, for the tongue at its extremity, was made much thinner, so as to work with as little obstruction as possible. About half-way, or at the distance of four inches from the mouth, these small rods passed or worked freely through jointed sockets, fixed in suitable bearings, and connected at their ends to the ends of four other longer rods, of about eighteen inches in length, and placed at right angles to the smaller set, the ends of each being connected by joints. These joints are loose. At the distance of fifteen inches from these joints are four univer

INDESTRUCTIBLE NATURE OF FERNS. SIR,-Ferns are said to withstand the effects of even a very prolonged immersion in water, with scarcely any change, whilst not only the soft tissue of plants, but the heart wood of trees, decays so completely under the same circumstances, as to leave little or no traces of their character.* Have any experiments been made to turn to account the above cited property of Ferns, whether for admixture with water cements, formation of durable cordage o tissues, and with what practical results? Information on this subject will oblige, Sir, yours, &c., GEORGE TWEMLOW,

འ

Colonel Royal Artillery. Vegetable Physiology and Botany, p. 29.

EXAMINATIONS.

SIR-It was with a feeling of considerable regret that I read in the Society's Journal of last week that no certificated schoolmaster would, henceforth, be permitted to attend the Society's examinations.

accorded to the Institution has been such as to contrast

The

unfavourably with that which it received in the preceding portion. The number of general members entered, which was for the first quarter of the past year 373, has only amounted in the last quarter to 207. Notwithstanding No doubt the Council had weighty reasons for coming this, however, there is on the whole year a decided into such a decision, but I would beg permission, neverthe- crease over the year preceding. The number of Hono less, to point out a reason why I think it would be pro-rary Members subscribing during the past year has ductive of good if they were to waive that decision with amounted to 92; and the number of general members enregard to one particular subject of examination. The tered has been an average of 294 in each quarter. The subject I allude to is chemistry. number admitted by transferable cards has been 60, making an average total of 440. Compared with the previous year there has been an increase of 31 honorary members, 101 general members, and of 16 in the number admitted by transferable cards, or a total increase of 148. From the financial statement it appears that there has this year been an addition of upwards of £35 to the debt existing at the close of last year. On the whole, however, the Committee do not think there is much reason to despond, or to fear that the Institution will not recover from its present partial depression. Library has this year received considerable additions, both by purchase and by donations. The total number of volumes purchased during the year has been 143. Seventy-five volumes have also been added by donation. The number of volumes now in the Library is 4,504. In the deliveries there has been an increase of 1,292 over those of the year preceding. The Classes in operation during the year, with the average number of members, have been as follows:-Writing and Arithmetic, junior section, 66 members; Writing and Arithmetic, senior section, 32 members; Mechanical Drawing, 22 members; Landscape Drawing, 9 members; French Language, 10 members; Reading and Elocution, 14 members; Chemistry, 12 members; Mutual Improvement, 13 members; Essay and Discussion, 36 members. Total, 214; or an increase of 88 over the number attending in the previous year.. Two lectures have this year been delivered in the Reading-room; the first by the Rev. Richard Boyle, on Shakspeare's" Merchant of Venice;" the other, on the Study of the French Language," by M. A. Podevin, teacher of the French Class at the Institution.

It may be the opinion of the Council of the Society of Arts, that as the Committee of Privy Council on Education hold special examinations for masters in this subject, there would be less excuse for admitting them to the chemistry paper than for other subjects not recognised by the Committee of Council. And so indeed there would, if certificated schoolmasters, who have worked up this extra subject, could present themselves at the Government examination in chemistry at their own pleasure; but this is very far from being the case. No certificated schoolmaster in charge of a school can present himself at such examination without the consent and recommendation of a majority of the committee of his school. “But surely,' you will say, "there can be no difficulty in obtaining that." How many masters would rejoice with me if it were so! But so averse are the majority of school managers to the introduction of anything like experimental science into National Schools, that there is scarcely one school in a dozen where the master would be allowed to attend the examination, which, if successfully passed, would qualify him for the use of apparatus, a grant of which would be made to the school on his account at onethird the cost.

In a large school, of which I was master two years back, I not only offered to attend the examination, but actually offered one-half the money towards purchasing the apparatus, so that the managers would have had to pay but one-sixth of the cost, and even then I was refused permission to attend. I have, also, frequently met with masters in the same, and even worse circumstances. Only a fortnight back I was assured by a friend that he had offered to attend the examination and to pay the whole of the managers' one-third for the purchase of the apparatus-which would still have belonged to the school and not to himself-but so wisely were they convinced that it was not good for boys to be educated by means of which they had neither the time nor perhaps the capacity to learn the value, that they refused his request though the apparatus should cost them nothing.

Such instances as these being the rule and not the exception, I trust the Council will consider them a strong plea for waiving the exclusion of certificated school masters from their examination in chemistry, or at least all those who cannot attend the government examination. Those who have passed the government examination in chemistry will scarcely wish to be examined, but the Council of the Society of Arts will be doing a friendly office for others, as it has already done for me, by putting its stamp" upon the knowledge of those who-having obtained it-have been refused permission not only to apply it, but to have it legitimately acknowledged. I should feel greatly obliged by your laying this before I am, &c..

the Council.

London-road, Reigate, Nov. 1st, 1856.

JOHN JONES.

Proceedings of Institutions.

BRIGG. On Monday, the 6th inst., the tenth annual general meeting of the members of the Reading Society was held in their reading-room, W. Brocklesby, Esq., in the chair. The report of the committee for the past year, which was read by the secretary, showed that the Society continues in a very prosperous condition, having at the present time, besides honorary members, 203 proprietary members, whose subscriptions for the past year amounted to £100 12s. 6d.; that the library now contains 922 volumes, of which 92 have been added during the year; that 13,040 entries were made in the librarian's register of the circulation of books, periodicals, and newspapers, between the 31st August, 1855, and the 1st September, 1856, being an excess of 2,710 entries over any previous year. The treasurer's statement showed a balance in the Society's favour of £22 5s. 31d. The following gentlemen were appointed as the committee for the ensuing year, viz., John Hett, Esq., president; John Danber, Esq., vice-president; Mr. John Hewson, treasurer; Messrs. S. Upton and J. Parker, secretaries; and Messrs. W. Brocklesby, Thos. Freer, W. Nicholson, J. B. Moxon, Wm. Hart, H. T. Jackson, J. Lofley, G. Lofley, and Thos. Mason. The propriety of establishing classes in drawing and other important branches of knowledge, for the benefit of the junior members, and with a view to enable this Society further to participate in the advantages of union with the Society of Arts, was considered, and the committee for the ensuing year were requested to take all necessary steps for instituting such classes as early as it can be found practicable to do so. The sum of £10 out of the balance in the treasurer's

BOLTON. The Committee, in presenting the Thirty-hands was directed to be expended in the purchase of a first Annual Report of the Mechanics' Institution, regret further supply of new books. Votes of thanks were that during the latter half of the past year the support given to the officers of the past year, and after the