THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

THE BRISTOL MEETING.

In a former number of our journal will be found the details of the proceedings of that highly-interesting meeting which has recently taken place at Bristol,-the sixth anniversary of the important Association above-named. It is not our intention, therefore, in the following article, to offer any regular statement of those proceedings, but merely to throw out a few remarks of a general nature on the character and tendency of the institution, and on the degree of success with which it appears to us to have promoted the grand objects which it professes to have in view during its recent session, as well as to comment freely on what has struck us as defective in its arrangements. This latter part of our task (we need hardly say) is undertaken in no other spirit than that of the most sincere good-will towards this Institution; and with no other object than the earnest wish to contribute (if anything we can suggest may be conceived likely to do so) to the still further extension of its utility and efficiency;-to the yet wider diffusion and more effectual dissemination of those important benefits which it has already conferred, and is at present conferring, on the science of this country. We have on more than one occasion since the commencement of our journal taken occasion to uphold the claims of the British Association, and to defend it against the attacks of its enemies; and we are well aware it has neither few nor despicable opponents to contend with But we feel assured, that the mere advantage which those enemies possess against it, and of which they are never slow to avail themselves, are to be found, in fact, in some few defects under which the constitution of the Association has hitherto laboured; but which, we feel assured, its enlightened friends and supporters will not be slow to perceive or to amend.

The nature, objects, and claims of the British Association, are but imperfectly understood throughout the country. The men of science assemble; they prosecute their respective discussions, but forget that the public at large are remaining all the while uninformed as to the general purport and tendency of the objects for which they are assembled. The Association does not explain itself to the public.

The town in which the meeting is to be held, a few days previous begins to assume an appearance of unusual bustle. Strangers (some of them, it must be confessed, of strange and uncouth appearance) are seen in groups perambulating its pavements, uttering their greetings in the market-place, and discussing science at the corners of the streets. Anxious inquiries are heard from the ladies,-" Who is that genius with his hair about his shoulders;" and "Can you point out to me Professor Such-an-one." At length, on the Monday morning, work commences: the philosophers are all closeted in their respective sections. No one outof-doors knows what they are doing; but all are led to believe that it is something extremely profound and important. At length, (after due VOL. II.

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honour done to the ordinary,) the grand epoch of the evening meeting arrives. The assembly-room, or the theatre, is crowded with anxious expectants, all looking out for amusement or instruction, as the case may be, for the gratification of their curiosity, or the indulgence of their risibility;-equally prepared to follow the most sublime abstractions, or to be entertained with whatever amusement philosophy may be capable of affording; but hardly any, perhaps, in the assembly, having a distinct conception of the precise object which has brought them together. Nor do the proceedings, (when, after due delay, they commence,) afford much elucidation on this head. The last year's president resigns the chair with a few words about honour and distinction, pride and happiness: the new president takes it with similar expressions of unworthiness and incapacity, of zeal and devotion to the cause of the advancement of science. Abstracts of the proceedings of the morning in each of the sections are read by the respective chairmen, which are for the most part wholly inaudible; and when they are not, are rendered so by the not unnatural preference given by the company to conversation rather than a string of technical nomenclature.

On the mornings of the other days, precisely the same course is pursued; and while some evenings are left open to be filled up by such amusements as chance may supply, on the others, the same general assembly takes place, the proceedings being so far diversified that some one or more scientific topics are discussed,-restricted usually to those of geology, and illustrated by that species of eloquence which so peculiarly characterizes the geological school, and tends to render its doctrines so singularly acceptable to the ladies. At the concluding meeting, little more is done to the purpose than at any of the preceding. What is wanting in philosophic exposition of truth is amply compensated, and at a cheap rate, by superabundance of flattery, and compliments, (not always such as we should consider the most happy or delicately imagined,) to the fair sex. Everything is hurry, apology, and abridgment; and the chairman dissolves the meeting with a reiteration of thanks and congratulations, and announcements of the coming glories of the next anniversary.

It may be asked, is this the language of friends to the Association? Is it the part of its admirers and supporters thus to expose its weakness? We reply that we wish to expose the defects in the working of the system, because we are sure that they admit of easy remedy, and that they have only to be pointed out and duly commented upon, to ensure the adoption of such remedy. We expose the weakness of the Association in these minor points, because we are assured that it has within itself the elements of gigantic strength, which only require to be called forth and developed, to evince its full efficiency in securing the great objects of its formation.

From what we have above remarked, it will be obvious, our first impression is, as to the necessity for a more systematic course of public exposition of the objects of the Association. At the opening meeting we would have the mere formalities as much as possible abridged. We would look to the president, or perhaps, rather to some one of the vicepresidents, for a luminous and popular explanation of the actual objects

and views of the Association; which, as the meeting is held every year in a new place, and a considerable portion of the members is always new, would be no tedious repetition, but a most important and instructive exposition.

The address which has been annually drawn up by the secretary, reporting the progress of the scientific labours of the Association during the past year, has always appeared to us a most invaluable feature in the proceedings. This we are especially desirous to see kept up, and extended, and improved. We are not sure, whether, considering the high importance of this duty, and that we cannot always reckon upon having such secretaries as some of those who have hitherto filled the office,-it might not be a hint worthy of consideration, for the COUNCIL to be charged with the production of such a report, with express provision for putting it into the hands of some member who is able to do justice to it in the delivery: a point of increasing importance, as the assemblies of the Association are becoming yearly so much more numerous, and the places of meeting necessarily so large, that few speakers can be heard in them.

The reports of the proceedings of the sections very properly form an integrant and most essential feature in the proceedings of the general meetings. They are, in fact, the connecting links which now alone unite the distinct sections into the one great body of the Association. At the Oxford meeting the general assemblies were held in the middle of the day; and this arrangement rendered manifestly conspicuous the unity of the entire meeting. At these assemblies, the reports on the present state of the several branches of science were read: they constituted the main and essential portion of the whole to which the sections were but subsidiary; the main trunk from which the sections branched off. This arrangement has been discontinued. We are among those who deeply regret it, but we fear the general opinion of the members is against us, and that there is little probability of its being revived.

The present constitution of the Association is rather a confederation of distinct and isolated minor scientific states than one grand republic of philosophy, divided into subordinate districts. This we regret; but, as it is, we conceive it doubly important to keep up in an effective state that which now forms almost the sole semblance of the union;-the homage paid by the sections to their sovereign body and parent stock, even if it be little more than in form.

But we have already observed, this reading of the reports is on all hands, we believe, allowed to be (as at present conducted) the very worst feature in the arrangement of the society's proceedings. Yet it cannot be dispensed with. Indeed it is extremely important in all points of view, for the several sections have no other means of communicating their respective proceedings to each other; and the members of one section are anxious to know what has been doing in another; which, unless gifted with ubiquity, they can only do at the evening re-union. The only plan we conceive capable of adoption, is a systematic extension of that which has been partially followed at Bristol, and at some previous meetings. In one or two instances, eminent individuals, connected with some of the sections, have been called upon to

come forward after the formal reading of the abstracts, and give some general and popular account of any material and striking investigations or discoveries which may have been announced at the section.

Now what we would hint, is, that this should be done regularly and systematically in reference to all the sections. With this view, let the formal abstract be reduced to the briefest possible limits, and let some member (not on the hazard of the moment, but duly selected beforehand, by the committee of the section) then come forward with a short, luminous, condensed popular sketch of the most striking parts of the proceedings, under the sanction of the committee, thus all invidiousness as to the selection of topics, and the estimate of the merits of the investigation would be done away.

In immediate connexion with this last idea, we further conceive it would be of great utility, if a general report of the progress made by each section during the past year, were regularly prepared some time previous to each meeting, under the immediate direction of the sectional committee, and handed in to the secretary of the meeting. Thus the details would be in a great degree supplied him upon which his annual report might be founded; these sectional reports might be printed entire in the society's annual volume, though not read at the meetings: they might, however, if thought desirable, be read at the opening of each section, in the same manner as the secretary's general report is read at the opening of the general meeting.

There is one extremely important point to which we wish especially to direct the attention of those interested (and we hope all our readers are so) in these meetings, we mean the EXHIBITION of models, machines, and other objects of interest and curiosity. The necessity for some provision for this object has been felt at every meeting hitherto, and we believe the means of supplying it have already formed the subject of serious discussion in the council. We believe it is in contemplation, at least we are assured it would be eminently deserving of consideration, to set apart some one large room, or repository, which should be open during the whole time of the meeting for the sole purpose just mentioned. Into this exhibition might be admitted (subject of course to the management of a special sub-committee), models and machines, intended to be described or referred to in communications to be given to the sections; or such as display any novelty of principle or improvement; the inventors of which may choose to attend and offer explanations of them in the room. Above all, opportunity would be thus afforded to the ingenious artisans of the place where the meeting is held, to bring forward their inventions, who would thus be led to feel an increased interest in the institution, extremely desirable to be excited, both for their own benefit and that of the Association. Nothing, we are convinced, would tend in a higher degree to the utility, as well as popularity, of the institution. It at present wants a connecting link with the practical and working men. Nothing would tend more effectually to supply the deficiency, than such an arrangement as that at which we have hinted. It would besides furnish a highly-agreeable resource to a great number of visiters, who may be little disposed to spend the whole morning in the more dry details of the sectional discussions. It would

afford an agreeable promenade for the ladies, and we seriously think that everything which tends to make the meeting acceptable to them is really a point of no slight importance. We will not, however, dilate on this particular topic, however tempting, but we cannot quit the immediate subject of the exhibition of arts without referring to the practical argument in favour of it, which we have lately been enabled to appreciate in its full force, from attending the anniversary of the Royal Polytechnic Society of Cornwall, which (as our readers are aware) occurred at Falmouth, shortly after the Bristol meeting. This year's assemblage was distinguished by the presence of several eminent members of the British Association, and was, we believe, considered to have been an unusually brilliant and successful one. 66 Those visiters, one and all," (in the Cornish phrase,) agreed that the British Association could not follow a better model. The capacious room of this institution was filled with ingenious specimens of every description of works of art, as well as enriched by the exhibition of some most important experiments in the more abstract departments of science.

It is of course chiefly in the former points of view that we now refer to it. The display of mechanical genius (which in untaught and native exuberance, singularly abounds in this portion of the kingdom), was not only in the highest degree creditable and instructive, but (what is most to our present purpose) excited, for two successive days, the most lively interest among crowds, not only of the philosophic visiters, and the intelligent men of practical science connected with the mines, but also among the elegant groups in which all the beauty and fashion of the neighbourhood displayed itself; and, what is most valuable of all, among the working classes of the community, whose curiosity had not entirely abated even on the third day of the exhibition. We ourselves heard a ragged urchin in the street, exult that he had got a holiday to go to the Polytechnic.

We have already adverted to the importance we attach to whatever can increase the general popularity of these meetings. And assuredly one of the most material points in reference to this object, is the due supply of amusement blended with instruction, on those evenings on which there is no general meeting. Instead of leaving this to chance, or to the opportunities, however liberally given, by the throwing open of rooms or institutions, public or private, we would greatly prefer seeing this matter taken under the special superintendence of the Association itself, and made a regular and systematic part of its plan. Nothing seems so well calculated to effect this desirable end, as opening a large room solely for a conversazione, in which the parties collected might mingle in social intercourse or scientific discussion, as their respective tastes led them; and to this it would, perhaps, be by no means difficult to append the delivery of some popular lectures, perhaps in adjacent rooms, taking care that more than one are going on at the same time, to prevent undue crowding to one.

In thus throwing out our suggestions, it must not be imagined either that we speak in an obtrusive tone, as laying down the law to those whose proper concern is the government and regulation of the meetings;-nor, on the other hand, that we are promulgating these