THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

Wellington Independent, Volume VI, Issue 551, 22 January 1851, Page 3

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

The meeting of the British Association ' at Edinburgh, which terminated on Wed- . nesday, was more distinguished for its - financial success than for the " advancement of science." The falling off in the funds on previous years had shown tho necessity of recruiting the resources ofthe Association by revisiting tbe larger towns, and the experiment has so far succeeded that £400 was added to the treasury by last year's session at Birmingham, and nearly double that .amount will probably be the result of the meeting in Edinburgh. The most distinguished feature of tho ' meeting was the appearance of the Duke of Argyle as one of the contributing members ; and the paper read by him in the Geological section possessed more value than any other. It threw new light on the ago ofthe trap rocks, by showing, that in the Isle of Mull there is tho interposition of several strata, consisting of. leaves accompanied by volcanic tufa, be-, tween two masses of basalt, the lower , mass amorphous and the upper oneco--.-lumnar; which clearly indicate tho repetition of igneous action under water, .anjl the subsequent upheaving of tho cliff* wherein this remarkable formation exists. - The value that appeared .to bo attached by the section to this communicatiou would probably remove the approhensioii which tho Duko expressed, that hi? geological knowledge would be found ,to ba only a " superficial deposit." The geologists' mustered in great force, at, this meeting, and one entire day was occupied by them in debating- onthe old bat- . tle-gi'oupd of glacial action; ,06 this- -

Considerable progress had been made in harvest operations in England. There •was considerable firmness in the wheat ■market. ' Another attempt had been made to sot Parkhurst Prison on fire by the younfger scions-of the community lodged /therein. The official proceedings preparatory to .'taking the census of tho population d'f ><jrreat Britain on the 31st March next had commenced. Some of the Councils General of France had adopted resolutions expressive of regret at the death of Louis l'hil'lippe. Funeral services had also been •held at somo of-tho churches, Tho trade of Paris yras brisk. Continued rains had rendered field 'operations impossible to the mass df the troops of Schleswig Holstein. The plections in Spain had resulted in -an unexampled defeat of the Progresista . party. "Accounts from Schlesyvig nnnowneo v that martial layv has been proclaimed in -llusum against all persons concealing •arms or holding communication with-the Danish camp. A man, evidently insane, and suffering under religious monomania, had attempted to assassinate the Rev. R. Attliill, 1 curate of Holy Trinty Church, Hull. The Grand Duko of Tuscany •= and family had returnod to Florenco. One of the bankers of Vienna, M, Goldstein, hud just died, leaving to his only'daughter a fortune of ten rail-lie ns • of francs. ■» The Lords of tho Treasury have accepted the offer of Mr. Laming to convey the mails to the Cape of Good Hopo for £30,000 por annum in screw-propelled vessels. -NoPfewor than five fires occurred in London on the Bth September. Tho electric telegraph has boon established bctwoeu Vienna and Cracow. On tho 26th ultimo a despatch yvus received from Cracow by >the Minister of War in five minutes. Mrs. Egerton, a lady not surpassed by any upon the stage in a particular line of partST—witness her Meg Merrilies and others—died at Brompton on Tuesday week, at the age of fifty-sovon.— Sept 9. The United Service Gazelle understands that it is in contemplation to carry into effect, by tho next mooting of Parliament a further reduction iv her Majesty's forces. 'JHio Popo is about to demand satisfaction of tho English government for Mr. Freeborn's patronage of Italian republicans. M. de Lamartino is about to visit London, in order to raiso capital and purchase ■ implements to cultivate tho territory in Asia.Minor which has boon conferred upon him by the-sultan. Ramo Samee, the eelobrated Indian juggler, died lately in Sidnoy-stroct, City Road London, in extreme poverty, not leaving sufficient to bury ; him. His health had received a severo shock from the death of his only sou, aged 23, who, in attempting to swallow, a syvord, did him- • self such, injury that, he died shortly afterwards. Home Harvest.—By the end of the "first week in September the results of the harvest ought to be pretty well known. •Thore are some points, indeed, in which speculation and alarm can find room to work oven for months after the crop has boon gathorod and housed, but there can uo longer bo much margin for difference of opinion when tho produoe is once safe from tho weather. Judging by the tenor of tho reports which havo roached us from every part of tho kingdom, wo feel littlo . doubt of. an average harvest. Of barley and oats there is no doubt whatever that tho crops aro above tho average. The late storms of wind and rain are said to have injured the wheat crop, which is>admitted to have boon ready for the.sickle-someyvhat oarlier than usual. 'On tho-whdle, the. weather has been fa"vourablo^for.tho. operations of harvest, the chief-difficulty-being want of hands. If, then, -wo cannot congratulate the country on tho prospect of extraordinary abundance, wo may at least express our thankfulness that tho food which is the •subsistence-of most classes in theso islands, and the prosperity of all, is granted for-ono more year iii. merciful sufliciency. ■ — Times, September 9. Professor Webstkh's Execution.— Professor Webster was oxocutod in Boston on the 31st ult. . During the period provious to-his execution, his demeanour was excellent, and ho undertook daily "devotional exercises. On the evoning 'before his death, his family visited him as'iisual, and took leave of him without knowing that, his .'final hour .was near. Tho execution took place in tho morning, withhi the precincts of tho gaol, with the usual forms.' He died.almost instantaneously. After hanging about half an j houi-, the body was enclosed in a black "pine coffin, and placed in the decoased's cell.- Subsequently it was removed to the residence of hi§ family, at Cambridge, anton'Sunday, the,(i% of Mad'lle Lind's arrival was burifd iii tie Auburn cemetery. The,news of his death yyas communicated to'his family/on the afternoon of the 31st, by, Mrs: Prescoti, a sister of tho deceased,' and the, Roy. Dr. Putnam. No confession ofpremeditt(MVa3 made.

The Right Rev. Dk. Wiseman. — On the 13th August a private meeting of • the dtoman-Catholie laity of the London district, convened by'the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, was held at the Thatched House Tavern, when an address of congratulation to tho Right Rev, Dr. Wiseman, on his intended elevation to the rank of-Cardinal,'Was numerously signed. Absolution was also passedfor raising, by subscription, the expenditure which will be occasioned by his lordship's elevation ; and a considerable amount was subscribed at the meeting. In the evening his lordship held a levee at his Episcopal residence in Golden-square. Bishops Wareing, Moris, and Nuker.the Earl of Fingnll, the Right' Hon. R. L. Shiel.M-P., Mr.lt. M. Bellew, M.P.,Mr. C. Stanfield, R.A., Mr. C. P, Cooper, Q C, and a very numerous body of the Roman Catholic clergy nnd htity attended. The Earl of Arundel and Surrey was absent on account of illness, and in the course ofthe evening Mr. T. -Bai-ncwell (tho chairman) accompanied by a numerous deputation, presented the address to Dr. Wiseman, to wliich his Lordship, yvho whs deeply affected, made a very eloquent reply. His Lordship yvill forthwith proceed to Rome, to attend the consistory, yvhich we are informed, is likely to be held about the 10th of September. The Very Reverend Dr. Whitty has been appointed : pro-Vicar Apostolic of the London District during Dr. Wiseman's sojourn in-Romo. Field Marshal Prince Albert lias been appointed to -the' Chief Colonelcy of the (JOth Rifles, vice Fiold'Marshal His Royal Highness tho Duke of-Cambridge, de r ceased, General John-Earl of Strafford, from tho 29th Foot, has been appointed to tho Colonelcy of the Cohlstreams, also vacant by the decease of the Royal Duke, Lieut-General Ulysses Lord .Downes, from the 53th Foot, has been appointed Colonel of the 29th. vice the Earl of Strafford. Major General Gordon to be Colonel of the 54th, vice Lord Downes. Our readers yvill learn with surprise, says the London Daily News, but not without certain flutter of expectation and excitement, that tho Corporation of London intends to promoto to the oflice of Recorder, now vacant, Lord Brougham. In the'-case of any other than the noble and learned lord, tho announcement might be received-with incredibility; but on his part, the filling of two such seemingly ir- ; rcconcileablo characters at onco, as a peer of the realm, and an officer of the Loudon municipality, is not a whit more startling than his gravo proposal to become a Frenchman, aad continue to bo an Englishman. The Gloucester Musical Festival commenced under the most favourable auspices on the Oth September. Tho late Sir Robert.Peel has, according to tho Daily News," left full and specific directions in his Will for the early publication of his political memoirs;" and bus ordered that the. profits arising from the publication shall be given to some public institution for the education of tho working- classos. He has confided the task to Lord Million nnd Mr. Cardwell. Their duty will, however, be comparatively light, though delicate, from the admirable and orderly state in yvhich Sir Robert has loft ull his papers." A correspondent of tho Morning Chronical has the following:—" The Mormons have, it is suid, put aside 3£ tons, or 94,080 ounces of gold, gathered in California, for the purpose of "gathering" tho poor saints from England, aud other parts of Europe, as well as from the remote districts of tho American Union, into the great Salt Lake Valley, At £4 per oz., this would amount to £376,320. It is possible that they may have exaggerated their resources in this respect, but the fact is presented on Mormon authority. I was showed at Liverpool some of tho gold coinage of their ncyv state of Destirt. Tho five dollar pieces aro of pure California gold, without alloy, and somewhat smaller, but much heavier, than a sovereign. s The reverse bears the inscription "Holiness to the Lord, surmounting the eye of Jehovah, and a cap somewhat like ii mitre, both very rudely executed. The obverse bears two hands joined, and the words " Five Dollars." Accounts i-'iiom Sir John Ross' Auctic Expedition-.—We extract from the columns of the Times the following letter containing the first advices yet received of Sir John Ross' expedition. It yvill bo recollected that the expedition sailed from Scotland, on the 23rd May last :— "Felix discovery vessel, Holsteiuborg, Jnhc 1850. My dear sir.—l' : leave this with tho Danish resident at Holsteiuborg merely to say that we have safely arrived here, after a fair passago, and although wc;experienced two heavy gales, we sustained no damage, while we had ample proof of both tho Felix and tho Man/ being exccllont sea boats, as well as good sailers; in short they are both everything that wo could desire. As I do not expect that this yvill reach you till October, as it will go by the Danish government vessel that leaves this in Septeriiber, I shall not send my accounts, vouchers, &c, being 1 in hopes that I shall overtake tho transport Emma Eugenia at Whalefish Islands or at least some homeward bound vessel that will reach Euglaud before that'timc. My object in coming here-wa3 to obtain

a Danish interpreter, yvho understands the Esquimaux language, and before I close this I shall be able to say if I have succeeded. We overtook tho Danish government brig, Titus, 31 days from Copenhagen, parted with her on the 16th June, and arrived hero four days before her, although we had the Mary in tow, I have only to add that we are ull well, and in high spirits ; and that I am yours very faithfully; John Ross. A.Barclay Esq. P.S.—I have the pleasure to add that I have succeeded in obtaining an Esquimaux, who understands the Dauish language, and having now made all the preparations necessary for o»r arduous undertaking, we are noyv getting under yveigh. I intend first to try to get across at once, and, if I fail in that, shall follow the usual course up tho east side of Baffin's Bay, &c."