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Amongst the members of the Institute, there are,

Dukes Marquis

Counts

Viscounts Barons

Of these there are Peers of France

In the same year to which these details more particularly refer, the biennial exhibition of the national industry of France took place; on which occasion the king conferred the decorations of the Legion of Honour on twelve of the most distinguished artisans, and adjudged forty-eight medals of gold, thirty-nine of silver, and two hundred and seventeen of bronze, in all four hundred and four medals. The influence of such liberality on the progress of the arts does not require to be pointed out.

How different a picture England presents. There is not at this moment, with in the British isles, a single philosopher, however eminent have been his services, who bears the lowest title that is given to the lowest benefactor of the nation, or to the humblest servant of the crown!

There is not a single philosopher who enjoys a pension, or an allowance, or a sinecure, capable of supporting him and his family in the humblest circumstances!

There is not a single philosopher who enjoys the favour of his sovereign, or the friendship of his ministers!

Mr. Dalton, the most distinguished chemist in Britain-and the man who has given to chemistry her numerical laws, has been allowed to spend the flower of his days in the drudgery of teaching the elements of mathematics at Manchester, and has never been honoured by a single mark of national gratitude. Mr. Ivory, the first mathematician in England, after exhausting the vigour of his life as a mathematical teacher at Marlow, has retired, as his humblest colleague would have done, on a superannuation, and has been allowed to spend his latter years in comparative poverty and obscurity.

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When the eldest, and the most illustrious of our sages have been thus neglected, need we inquire into the condition of those younger men who are destined to succeed them? Need we ask what mark of respect has been conferred upon Brown, the first botanist of the age ;-ou Herschel, the morning star of our science ;-on Babbage, the inventor of a machine which seems to be actuated with almost intellectual power;-on Kater, Barlow, Christie, and South, who have extended the boundaries of physical science;-on Thomson, Henry, and Faraday, who have shone in the field of chemical discovery; -or on Murdoch and Henry Bell, who first introduced into actual use the two greatest practical inventions of modern times? Of the two last it has been the fortune of Mr. Murdoch to rise to wealth and consideration in the field of commercial enterprise; but Henry Bell has been preserved from starvation only by the private contributions of his fellow citizens.

Were not the detail likely to prove tedious, we might unfold to our readers a series of grievances of the most afflicting kind. We might point out English inventions rejected at home and adopted abroad. We might adduce the cases of ingenious men, who, when denied public aid, have exhausted upon their inventions their private resources, and terminated their days in poverty, or in prison. Every day indeed we meet with the victims of our patent laws, that fraudulent lottery, which gives its blanks to genius and its prizes to knaves,-which robs the poor inventor of the wealth which he has either earned or borrowed, and transfers it to the

purse of the attorney-general and the keeper of the great seal of England.

From general observations, which are calculated to make but a transient impression, we shall proceed to an examination of our scientific establishments. Without expecting that any of our philosophers should be cabinet ministers, or privy-councillors, or ambassadors, it might reasonably have been supposed that, in a country like Great Britain, a variety of her public institutions would have furnished ample provision for scientific men. As mistress of the ocean, her board of longitude should, like that of France, have furnished an elegant endowment for many of her philosophers; her lighthouse boards, with her immense revenues, might, like the corresponding board in French, have given situations to others; her boards of manufactures might have been appropriately conducted by men who combine practical with theoretical knowledge; her mineral treasures might have proffered a tithe of their produce to reward the knowledge which explored them, and applied them to the arts; her royal societies might have added several official situations; and her universities, beside the ordinary chairs for professional education, might have contained others, which, while they attracted men of great name within their precincts, left them suf ficient leisure to peruse their researches. All this might have been expected in England, because it is found in other countries less able and less called upon to be liberal to their philosophers.

But how greatly are these expectations disappointed! The board of longitude was placed under the management of the lords and secretaries of the admiralty, &c. &c.; under the astronomer royal, and certain professors of Oxford and Cambridge; under the president and three fellows of the royal society; and under three scien tific commissioners, chosen by the admiralty, who received 100l. per annum, and one of whom, acting as secretary, had a salary of 300l., and 2001. additional for superintending the "Nautical Almanac." This singularly constituted board was abolished in 1828,-and simply, we believe, because it was considered as actually useless. Its failure, however, as an useful institution, arose from the very circumstance that it was not managed, like the French board, by scientific men, with regular salaries, personally responsible for the rewards which they conferred, and the publications which they issued.

Great Britain possesses three lighthouse boards; riz., that of the Trinity House, the Scottish Lighthouse Board, and the Board for improving the Port of Dublin. With respect to the exact con

stitution of some of these boards, we are not accurately informed; but we know that the funds which annually pass through their hands cannot be greatly less than 100,000l. They have engineers, secre taries, and treasurers, who receive good salaries, and in one of the boards we believe the members are paid; yet, by a fatality which impends over every British institution, not one of all the numerous members and officers of these three scientific boards is a man of science, or is even acquainted with those branches of optics which regulate the condensation and distribution of that element which it is their sole business to diffuse over the deep. That grave inconveniences arise from boards thus composed is not left to conjecture, a striking instance having occnrred in the Scottish. The inventor of a new compound lens, and of a particular apparatus connected with it, published an account of his invention in 1811. Some years afterwards, a most distinguished member of the Academy of Sciences brought forward the same lens and appas ratus as a new and important improves ment in lighthouse illumination. It was submitted to the most severe trials by the French lighthouse board, composed of some of the most eminent philosophers and naval officers in Paris, and was found to be greatly superior to every other mode of illumination. It was adopted in the great national lighthouse of Cordouan, and arrangements were made for its universal introduction on the coasts of France. The author of the invention had previously, but vainly, attempted to draw to it the attention of the engineer of the Scottish lighthouses; but, fortified by its actual introduction in a foreign country, he addressed himself to the three lighthouse boards of Great Britain, and offered his gratuitous services in bringing into use the new system. The Scottish lighthouse board went so far as to order one of the lenses to be executed under the superintendence of the inventor. The Trinity board made some trials with the lens before it was sent from London; and the board in Dublin declined doing anything in the matter. No other step has been taken; and the inability of these boards to judge of the merits of the invention bas prevented it from being substituted for those unscientific methods which are used on every part of the British shores.

The three scientific societies of Great Britain present to as many singular phases, which we are persuaded no foreigner can comprehend, and of which few of our

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countrymen are aware. They contain no official situations capable of affording a provision even for a single philosopher; they are constituted on a plan which necessarily throws them under the management of persons little acquainted with science; and they are not only supported by the subscriptions of their own members, but some of them, if not all, pay taxes to government for the rooms which hold their collections, and in which their sittings are held. The Royal Society of London has three stipendary officers, viz., the senior secretary, who receives 105!. per annum; the junior secretary, who receives 1101., 51. being allowed for making the index to the Transactions; and a foreign secretary, who receives 201. When we consider the duties which belong to these offices, especially the superintendence of the Philosophical Transactions." of which two volumes are published annually, we must be convinced that the secretaries receive an inadequate compensation for their labours; and if they are either professional men, or have the power of increasing their income by their literary exertions, they must be considerable losers by holding their appointments. The Royal Irish Academy is, we believe, in the very same predicament; or, if a remuneration is annexed to any of its offices, these offices are certainly not held by men of science,

In the Royal Society of Edinburgh none of the office-bearers receive any salary. The Society, however, have, on three occasions liberally given a present to their general secretary for his trouble in super intending their transactions; but this sum would not average more than 201, or 301, per annum. This institution presents some interesting points of consideration. It receives nothing whatever from government, nor from the town of Edinburgh, nor from any individual endowments. It is supported wholly by the subscriptions of its members. It pays to government, or to the board of trustees who act for the government, an annual rent 2601. for its apartments; and it is besides, well taxed for the blessed light which exhibits its meagre and pillaged collections.

Since our scientific boards and institutions contain no situations for scientific men, we shall now inquire if any shelter is afforded them within the walls of our eight universities. On this subject, Mr. Babhas the following observations:

"There are no situations in the state, there is no position in society, to which hope can point to cheer the young philosopher in his laborious path. If, indeed, he belong to one of our universities, there are some few chairs in his own alma mater, to which he may, at some distant period,

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pretend; but in most instances their emolument is small; and, when otherwise, the lectures which are required from the professor are not, perhaps, in all cases, the best mode of employing the energies of those who are capable of inventing."

A small number of chairs in our universities are certainly the only rewards which are open to scientific ambition; but when we consider how many of these have been filled either from political influence, or the personal favour of the patrons, the actual number considered as the rewards of eminence is greatly diminished. Mr. Babbage has asserted, that "the great inventions of the age are not, with us at least, always produced in universities;" but we go much farther, and maintain, that the great inventions and discoveries which have been made in England during the last century have been made without the precincts of our universities. In proof of this we have only to recall the labours of Bradley, Dollond, Priestley, Cavendish, Maskelyne, Rumford, Watt, Wollaston, Young, Davy, Chenevix; and among the living, to mention the names of Dalton, Ivory, Brown, Hatchett, Pond, Herschell, Babbage, Henry, Barlow, South, Faraday, Murdoch, aad Christie: nor need we have any hesitation in adding, that within the last fifteen years not a single discovery or invention, of prominent interest, has been made in our colleges, aud that there is not one man in all the eight universities of Great Britain who is at present known to be engaged in any train of original research.

Since our scientific men then can find no asylum in our universities, and are utterly abandoned by our government, it may well be asked, what are their occupations, and how are they saved from that poverty and wretchedness which have so often embittered the peace, and broken the spirit of neglected genius? Some of them squeeze out a miserable sustenance as teachers of elementary mathematics in our military academies, where they submit to mortifications not easily borne by an enlightened mind. More waste their hours in the drudgery of private lecturing, while not a few are torn from the fascination of original research, and compelled to waste their strength in the composition of trea tises for periodical works and popular compilations.† Nay, so thoroughly is the

pointed Secretary to the Board of Longitude, with In 1817, the year before Dr. Young was apa salary of 500l. per annum, his valuable time was wasted in professional authorship, as appears from the following extract of a letter to a correspondent:

times any account of your interesting investiga"I shall be most happy to receive from you at all tions; but do not send me any information you are not prepared to have mentioned again, for I am always scribbling something anonymous, and I am very capable of introducing your experiments, where perhaps you would not wish them to appear

spirit of science subdued, and so paltry are the honours of successful inquiry, that even well-remunerated professors, and others who enjoy a competent independ. ence and sufficient leisure, and are highly fitted by their talents to advance the interests of science, are found devoting themselves to professional authorship, and thus robbing their country of those serVices of which it stands so much in need.

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VARIETIES.

An Irish Defence.-Some years ago, Mr. Boyle (who conducted a satirical paper at Cork, called "The Freeholder,") came in contact with one of the city sheriffs at the theatre there. He suffered so much from this collision, that he brought Boyle to trial for the assault. Juries, at that time, were not the most unprejudiced in Ireland, and a 66 corporation jury" were not in the habit of leaning to the side of mercy when an enemy of the "ascendancy" was brought beneath their justice. Boyle had written some severe things against the corporation, and his conviction, on almost any grounds, was anticipated by his foes and feared by his friends. The trial came on before oue

of the judges at the assize. After many challenges, and much difficulty, the jury were empannelled. Mr. O'Connell, the leading counsel at the Munster bar in criminal cases, was retained for Mr. Boyle. The evidence bore strongly against his client although it was admitted that the assault might have been accidental; and, O'Connell, declining to call butting evidence, spoke at some length in reply to the prosecution. Finding his appeal to justice made little apparent way into the hearts of a Cork corporation jury, he suddenly adopted the language of irony, and concluded in the following abrupt manner :-"Gentlemen, I remember a trial at Clonmel, of a poor man on a charge of murder; a beautiful case of circumstantial evidencelike what you have just now heard-was made up against him. The prisoner's life seemed to hang by a single hair, when the

-but I cannot help it-I can only give you fair warning. I have indeed very lately been entering into some optical subjects pretty much at large;

but I do not think I shall resume the consideration of them for a long time." However valuable Dr. Young's compositions are yet his fame rests upon his optical decoveries, and science sustained a severe loss by the duection of his talents to any other sub. ject. His appointment to the Secretaryship of the Board of Longitude did honour to the Admiralty; and had Providence spared his valuable life, we should have witnessed, in his scientific discoveries, the happy influence of the leisure which it gave him.

case against him closed. He requested leave to call a witness, and to the amusement of the court produced on the table the man alleged to have been murdered. Perhaps, to use a phrase you all understand, he had been onlykilt.' The judge instantly desired the jury to send down their verdict. After a little pause, the foreman handed in a slip of paper, with the awful word "guilty" written on it. The judge, in utter astonishment, exclaimed—

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Why, the man has not been murdered! how can the prisoner be guilty !'—' Oh, my lord,' replied the foreman, that may be: but if he did not kill the man, sure he stole my bay mare three years ago! So, gentlemen, (concluded O'Connell), you must find Mr. Boyle guilty: for though he did not assault the sheriff, sure he libelled the corporation!" The jury, who had langhed at the anecdote, were shamed into justice, and Boyle was acquitted.→ Atthenaum.

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Simple and efficacious mode of destroying Ruts. The works at Hurlet were lately overrun with rats to such a degree, that it became absolutely necessary to adopt summary measures for totally extirpating the destructive vermin. The following means were resorted to, and they were attended with the most perfect success :-A number of corks, cut down as thin as sixpences, were roasted or stewed in grease, and then placed in the way of the rats. The dish was greedily devoured as a special delicacy, and, as was anticipated, they all died of indigestion.-Paisley Advertiser.

Grafting Grapes.-The quickest method of procuring grapes is to graft into the body near the ground, or which is preferable, into the roots of large vines. In the following year, if the graft has taken, fruit will be produced. Thns every farmer who has large vines on his ground, may, by procuring cuttings of a hardy foreign or native kind, and paying a little attention to the grafting and training, be soon and amply supplied with grapes for the market or wine making.-New Monthly Magazine.

Retort Courteous.-A Russian lady, being engaged to dinner with M. de Talleyrand, at that time minister for foreign affairs, was detained a full hour by some unexpected accident. The famished guests grumbled, and looked at their watches. On the lady's entrance, one of the company observed to his neighbour in Greek, "When a woman is neither young nor handsome, she ought to arrive betimes." The lady, turning round sharply, accosted the satirist in the same language; "When a woman," says she, "has the misfortune to dine with savages, she always arrives too soon.”—St. Maure's Petersburgh.

PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTA

TION OF SCOTLAND.†

THERE is scarcely a prospect in the world more curious than that of England during a general election. The congregations of people the principles appealed to the eminent men who appear-the pledges required or proffered the vicissitudes of the poll-the triumpbant chairing-these, with all the others, exhibit the most peculiar and stirring scene that any country has to show. It is a scene, in which a person, who understands the bustle, beholds the whole practical working of the constitution. He sees the majesty of public opinion; the responsibility of representatives to constituents; and the formation of the political virtues. It is impossible to behold this animating and ennobling spectacle, without turning with sorrow and humiliation to Scotland. This part of the empire originally formed a kingdom by itself; and it still retains its own laws, religion, interests, feelings, and language. It contains greatly above two millions of inhabitants, who are still rapidly increasing. It is full of generally diffused wealth. Education has for ages been habitual throughout the very lowest ranks: The people are extremely peaceable, and their character for steadis ness and prudence is so remarkable, that these virtues have been imputed to them as vices. Yet this is the only portion of the united kingdom which is altogether excluded from all participation in the representative system. It is not enough to say that their representation is defective. The only correct statement of the fact is, that the people have no share whatever in the representation. It is needless to waste time in explaining how this arose; for it would only lead us away from the con sideration of the fact into historical disputes; and an exact knowledge of the origin of the evil does not facilitate its cure: The result only is certain, that there never has been, and, while the existing system endures, there never can be, any thing resembling real representation in Scotland.

In order to justify this statement, it is only necessary to explain the circum

stances.

The only places which elect members are the counties and certain towns. Neither the universities, nor any other bodies or professions, possess the elective franchise. The counties return thirty members, the towns fifteen.

From the Edinburgh Review.-No. CIII. VOL, VI. Q

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I. To entitle a person to vote in a county, he must either be the actual proprietor of a portion of land, or he must be the feudal superior of it-the land itself, in this last case, being in the hands of a vassal. To afford a qualification, the property must be very considerable. The whole country was valued many centuries ago; and a freehold qualification can only arise from land of which it can be proved that it was then examined and found to be worth forty shillings Scots a year, or which is now valued by the commissioners of supply as yearly worth 400l. Scots. It is not easy to say what these ancient valuations denote in modern times; but the subject was very much discussed about forty years ago; and persons who were then deemed competent judges, estimated 4004. Scots of valued rent as equivalent to a present yearly rent of from 1007. to 2001. sterling. If this was correct then, the subsequent improvement of the conn try, which has increased the modern worth of property, while the old valua tions remain, must have greatly increased the difference; so that, speaking with reference to existing circumstances, the qualification in Scotland is probably at least thirty or forty times higher than in any other part of the empire; and above a hundred times beyond the general qualification in England. Besides this, there are two things very material to be kept in view. In the first place, the qualification attaches merely to land, including under this word, fisheries, mines, and such other things as are inseparable from land; it is not conferred upon property in houses. In the second place, not even land qualifies, whatever may be its extent, unless it is holden of the crown. So that a person may have an estate of 20,000l. a year, which affords him no vote, because he holds it of a subject. The qualification, therefore, is first high, and then it must be high within a limited description of property.

The result of this is, that the whole freeholders of Scotland are fewer in number (we believe) than those in any English county, unless, perhaps, the very smallest. There are certainly not three counties in England in which the freeholders do not in each exceed those of all Scotland. We cannot state their amount with perfect accuracy; but, according to the list usually referred to, and which, we are confident, is not very far wrong, the total number, a few months ago, was somewhere about three thousand two hundred and fifty-three. These chosen few are thus distributed :

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