CHILDREN CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS. gow), or still better, perhaps, the Clerks' College, the majority of members consisting of law and mercantile clerks. I do not, under existing circumstances, blame the members for this last step they have taken; it is only what should have been done long ago. Since the majority of the subscribers are not mechanics-why should the majority of the committee be so? Every majority has a right to sway the affairs of a community-and why not at Southamptonbuildings? The upshot is, that the mechanics of London have now no institution. That which was theirs has been wrested from them-that which, under proper management, might have been their boast, their glory, and the inheritance of their children, has passed into the hands of strangers; and mechanics may now return to their pot-houses, and their ginpalaces, to drown the "thoughts of what they might have been." It is not of course to be expected that you, Mr. Editor, can feel otherwise upon this subject, than as a parent upon the loss of a reprobate child. Nor is it to be expected that, after the ingratitude you have met with, you will again use any endeavours to establish a bonafide Mechanics' Institute. The mechanics of London, if they wish to keep pace with those of other towns, must do this for themselves; and there are none more fitting to commence such an undertaking than the few real mechanics who have, from almost the commencement, been members at Southampton buildings. I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, A SECEDED MEMBER. Islington, Sept. 4, 1834. CHILDREN CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS. Sir, I attended very closely on the Committee of the House of Lords on the Chimney-sweepers' Regulation Bill, which has since passed into an act. The evidence there given is now before me, and, I think, presents matter which may be useful and interesting to your readers. The object of the promoters of the bill 387 was to prevent the employment of children for the purpose of cleansing chimneys and flues; and, for human beings, to substitute machinery. They did not accomplish all they desired: it remains for the public to effectuate the object they had in view. When we consider the state of the sciences and arts, it would be monstrous if we could not clear a tube, of the shape and dimensions of an ordinary chimney, without passing a human body through it. And yet the great majority of housekeepers are either altogether indifferent on the subject, or believe there is no reliance to be placed on any other instrument. To be sure, the things we see carried about by some chimney-sweepers, which they call machines, but which they certainly display with a view to induce housekeepers not to use them, are well calculated to keep the children em ployed. Many chimney-sweepers are afraid lest machinery should come into use. If it should, they must work it themselves, or pay men to work it; now they can sit idle, and leave the work to be performed by their infant servants. But they will tell you that, at all events, there must be climbing boys, for coring chimneys, for detecting flaws in them, and for repairing those flaws. Νοιν, for the proper understanding of this matter, I will beg the reader just to take a sheet of paper, and to cut it down to the dimensions of 14 inches by 9,-the ordinary dimensions of our chimneys,— though there are many, which are passed through by boys, not exceeding 9 inches by 9 (" bare nines," as they are called), -and then let him judge whether it be possible for a boy, in such a space, to take up a lighted candie, examine the chimney, and then use brick, mortar, and trowel, to repair it. I am persuaded, from all I have seen and heard, that, generally speaking, the boy cannot fairly even brush out the chimney from bottom to top. In climbing, he holds the brush in one hand above his head, the other arm being confined straight by the opposite side; and he works himself up. partly with his knees and back, but mainly by placing the brush across the chimney and drawing himself up by it. There is generally a strong draught in the chimney, and the child is obliged to keep a cap drawn over his face, to pre 388 MR. SPRING RICE ON THE INFLUENCE OF KNOWLEdge. vent the soot getting into his eyes, ears, mouth, and nostrils. All the cleansing that takes place in the chimney is from the rubbing of his body and rags against the interior of it; but as to repairing, I believe it never is done with any certainty by him. Supposing the child to be able to sweep the chimney, we cannot rely on his doing it. He may be idle, he may have too many chimneys to attend to within a given time, his master may be dishonest, and may teach him to be dishonest too. My belief is, that the chimney-sweeper is called in much oftener than would be needed, if the cleansing were efficiently performed. But as to the machine, rude as it yet is, when it is fairly used (and the housekeeper can always see whether it is or not) it accomplishes its object-of cleansing, at least. And in case of fire in the chimney, it may be run up at once to sweep the ignited soot down; but the boy must wait till the chimney is cool enough for his reception. In addressing the editor of a publication devoted to science and the arts, I have thought it right first to call attention to the field for invention and improvement in chimney-cleansing by machinery. Having done so, I will not, for the present, further trespass on your columns. I shall, however, offer you, in future letters, some of the substance and spirit of the evidence taken on this subject. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, 15, New Boswell-court, A NEW MINISTER OF STATE'S OPINIONS Sir, I beg to solicit a place in your pages, for an extract on that still much disputed question, the influence of knowledge, from a speech delivered at the Mechanics' Institution of this city, three or four years ago, by one of the heads of his Majesty's present Administration. You are not to suppose, however, that I do so invidiously. I am not aware of any thing that Mr. Spring Rice has individually said or done, which would warrant me in assuming that the possession of office has in the least blunted his anxiety for the enlightenment of the people. 1 send you this extract, simply because of I remain, Sir, Limerick, August 9, 1834. "Gentlemen, we live in an age of wonders, in which the inventive and productive powers of man render new industry and exertion day by day more requisite. All mankind around us appear moving onward in a rapid race of improvement, and if we do not advance, we shall be left disgracefully in the rear-if we do not advance, we must retrograde; and in doing so, we not only lose our chance of improvement, but we forfeit whatever of advantage we now enjoy. There is no stability in the present affairs of man; but with knowledge and good principle the movement that is taking place must be all for good. In trade and manufactures, we see daily the expense of production diminished, and the quantity of all the comforts and necessaries of life almost indefinitely increased. To some of the parties engaged in industry, this may for a time be, and must necessarily appear, an evil; but when it is viewed on more general principles, common sense must reject the fallacy, that general abundance and general cheapness can be other than blessings. The greatest happiness of the greatest number has been quaintly defined to be the end of all government, and that will ever be best attained by the entire freedom of human industry, and the removal of restraints from trade. Let our institute, therefore, teach us that free trade is not an instrument of mischief, as has been suggested by interest or prejudice; but, as it may be defined, a permission to all mankind to produce all articles of industry without restraint, and to interchange that produce without difficulty, it is a contradiction in terms to imagine that such a system can be any other than a benefit. The trustees of a turnpike may feel jealous of the proprietors of a canal-the rail-road may supersede the latter-steam-navigation on our noble river may supersede cars and carriages along the shores; but is it not clear that in all these operations the community at large is benefited? Having referred to these matters of civil engineering, I should be culpable indeed if I were not to advert to the zeal, public spirit, and science displayed by an honourable gentleman present, Mr. Steele, IMPROVEMENT IN CHIMNEY FLUES. who has most honourably devoted the energies of his powerful mind to the improvement of our river navigation.* In this manner he has acquired himself real claims on the respect and gratitude of his countrymen, as a contributor to what is really practical and useful in that science to which he has applied himself. "One word and I conclude. Our object is knowledge-good and pleasurable in itself, and in its consequences immediate and remote. A wise man has said knowledge is power; it is so, it teaches how to control and direct the physical agencies around us, and make them obedient to our will, and instruments of our intelligence. The elements around us can thus be rendered subservient to our wants, necessities and enjoyments. But this is not all, knowledge is happinessit creates about us, from the materials with which Providence has blest us, either by our own invention or our combinations, new sources of physical comfort, and it developes all that is characteristic of a civilised social system. Further, knowledge, well understood, is not only power and happiness, but virtue. It leads us forward to moral excellence, it teaches us to subdue selfishness, to consider the interests of our fellow-men, as well as our own, to look to futurity as well as the present. It reads the best lesson of moral instruction, and it finally impresses on our morality the awful sanctions of religion. Pursuing this brilliant course, the performance of duties here, leads us to the hope of immortality hereafter." *We extract from the Limerick Chronicle the following interesting notice of the first lighting up of the Tarbert Rock Light-house, which, as our readers are aware, has been erected chiefly through Mr. Steele's instrumentality: The lantern on the beautiful tower, built by the Ballast Board on the Tarbert Rock, was lighted for the first time on Monday evening, and its splendid illumination was hailed with joy by all the mariners in the Shannon, and every one connected with the navigation of the river. About midnight Mr. Steele arrived in a boat at the rock, that he might examine the interior of the light house. He had crossed from Labasheeda Bay, in the west of the county Clare, and had been rowing about for some hours observing the effect from the water. After minutely inspecting every part of the building, he opened a bottle of wine in the lantern, and he, and the pilots, and sailors, and boatmen who attended him, drank it to the health of his friend Mr. Halpin, the engineer of the Ballast Board of Dublin, of whom he spoke in terms of the warmest gratitude, for the manner in which he had carried his plan of erecting a light-house at this point into practical execution. The arrangements of every part of the structure, he said, commanded his admiration. The illumination was splendid, the ventilation admirable, the building beautifully designed and beautifully executed, and nothing which he could possibly desire had been omitted. Mr. Steele then declared his intention of making immediate application to the Ballast Board for another lantern on the beacon tower on the Beeves, which, if granted, would be an improvement of inestimable value." 389 IMPROVEMENT IN CHIMNEY-FLUES.137 Sir,-The following sketches repres sent a mode of constructing the chimney flues of a dwelling-house, so that they may be all swept-whether by boys or machines-from the basement story, and the present inconvenient and dirty practice of entering the different rooms for the purpose be completely superseded. Fig. 1 is a section of a stack of chimneys thus constructed. The different flues, it will be observed, all communicate with each other, but there are dampers between them, for the purpose of cutting off or opening the communication at pleasure. These dampers may be either of iron or copper, but the latter is the better material, if used of sufficient thickness to resist the heat. Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale, through the flues at A B of fig. 1, showing more particularly the form of the dampers, and how they operate; CC are the doors; D D, the frames; E E, two bars with a space between them for the sweep or machine to pass through. Each damper turns on hinges at the bottom, and is made fast at top to the frame (which it must fit closely) by means of a strong bolt. When the chimney of a room is to be swept, the bolt of the damper is withdrawn, on which it falls forward; shutting off the communication with the room, while it gives access to the sweep or machine, from above or below. The small portion of the chimney below the damper may be afterwards swept by a servant with a hand brush. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of fig. 2. As the jambs of the chimneys on the ground floor, and the bed-room floor next the attic, will be thus necessarily rendered unequal, the elevation, fig. 4, shows how this defect may be concealed. By bringing forward the part marked F, this will form a small projection, and give to the jambs the appearance of being exactly alike. Fig. 5 is a ground plan of fig. 4. Trusting you will consider this improvement deserving a place in your valuable pages, I remain, Sir, Norwood, July, 1834. W. D. MR. BABBAGE AND HIS CALCULATING ENGINE. INCONVENIENCE OF CHANGES IN WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. (From Report of Professor Renwick, of Columbia College, to the Commissioners for Revising the Laws of the State of New York.) At the breaking out of the Revolution in France, the steps necessary to form a svstem of weights and measures entirely different from those formerly existing, and resting not merely for their standards, but for their absolute urits, upon a measure deduced from a constant dimension in nature, were undertaken. The result of this investigation was in a system that, if tested by the facility of applying to it the principles of decimal arithmetic, by the scientific and practical skill of the parties employed in the task, or by the great zeal and intelligence shown by them, is deserving of all praise. But in spite of the favourable circumstances existing at that era, when the whole nation was searching after novelties, and no prejudice in favour of any ancient customs could be considered as opposing, it was found that it could not be introduced in its full extent; and that the part on which the proposers most prided themselves, namely, the decimal division, by which it became accommodated to the existing scale of arithmetic magnitude, was the first which required modification. On the 12th of March, 1812, previous to the downfal of the Emperor Napoleon, the ancient denominations of lineal dimension, toise, foot, inch, &c., were restored, but appropriated to measures derived from the metrical system; and since the restoration of the Bourbons, that system has been further modified by the application of the ancient name of pound to the half kilogramme, with which that weight nearly corresponds. Nor does the necessity of making these changes arise from the inveteracy of prejudices, from which the French nation might be considered at the time as almost entirely free, but from causes actually existing in nature. The decimal notation, although long use has made it habitual, is by no means the most convenient for the calculations of arithmetic; it seems to have originated in no other cause than the habit of counting upon the fingers in the infancy of society; and although, from established habit, it would be proper in the ascending scale of weights and measures in ordinary use, and in the descending scale in scientific inquiry, is not applicable to the divisions of the unit in traffic. For this last purpose, a system admitting of binary division is alone fitted; and with this the duo-decimal division of the foot is sufficiently agreeable; while it is found in the full extent in the customary divisions of the yard, the avoirdupois pound and the bushel. 391 The terms foot, yard, pound, &c., are, in fact, identified with our language; and it would be as easy to subvert the form and dialect of our ordinary colloquial speech, as to introduce new standards of weight and measure with new names. All that can reasonably be attempted, is to refer the units of the several denominations to some mea sure in nature, constant, determinate, and easily determinable, making such slight changes, not appreciable in the transactions of trade, as will tend to the facility of this determination; and, in addition, the means by which the accuracy of existing standards may be tested in future times, or the standards themselves restored, if lost, must be defined. To do more is to attempt what is wholly beyond the reach of legislativé power. MR. BABBAGE AND HIS CALCULATING Many unfounded rumours have obtained circulation as to the course adopted by Government in this undertaking, and as to the position in which Mr. Babbage stands with respect to it. We shall state, upon authority on which the most perfect reliance may be placed, what have been the actual circumstances of the arrangement which has been made, and of the steps which have been already taken. Being advised that the objects of the projected machinery were of paramount importance to a maritime country, and that, from its nature, it could never be undertaken with advantage by any individual as a pecuniary speculation, Government determined to engage Mr. Babbage to construct the calculating engine for the nation. It was then thought that the work could be completed in two or three years, and it was accordingly undertaken on this understanding about the year 1821, and since then has been in progress. The execution of the workmanship was confided to an engineer, by whom all the subordinate workmen were employed, and who supplied for the work all the requisite tools and other machinery; the latter being his own property, and not that of the Government. This engineer furnished, at intervals, his accounts, which were duly audited by proper persons, appointed for that purpose. It was thought advisable, with a view, perhaps, to invest Mr. Babbage with more strict authority over the subordinate agents, that the payment of these accounts of the engineer should pass through his hands. The amount was accordingly, from time to time, issued to him by the Treasury, and paid over to the engineer. This circumstance has given rise to reports that he |