a select committee of the House of Commons, made several years ago, which report is not only discreditable to that house, but an insult to this country, because it was not founded on any examination into the actual state of the society, but takes for granted, what is the very reverse of the fact, namely, that the society is not a public and national, but a private establishment. The Dublin Society claims to be the oldest institution of the kind in Europe. It has done substantial service to Ireland for a hundred years, and so far is it from being a private establishment, that we fearlessly assert it has stronger claims to be regarded as a national institution, than even the British Museum, simply because it has gratuitously dispensed greater benefits to the community. And yet, that select committee, apparently ignorant of the constitution and objects of the society, legislate for it, as they would for a private dispensary, and hand it over to the Treasury, who, in the plenitude of power, without farther inquiry, in these times of reform, quite revolutionise the society.

As it is scarcely fair to refer to public documents without quoting them, at least, in part, we trust our English readers will excuse us for making a short extract from a treasury minute which was presented to the House of Commons the 10th September, 1831. It will shew not only the narrow views, and want of information of the Select Committee, but the short-sighted policy, and unfairness with which the Treasury has treated the National Establishment of Ireland. That Minute thus proceeds: "My Lords read the following passage from the report of the Select Committee appointed to consider the Irish Miscellaneous Estimates. Resolved, That it is expedient to bring such of the Estimates as may hereafter be presented to Parliament for the Miscellaneous Services of Ireland, under the direct control of the Treasury, subject to the responsibility of which department, it is the opinion of the Committee, that they should be in future submitted to the consideration of the House," &c. My Lords then proceeded thus

"The principle laid down by the Committee of the House of Commons has been to make the existence of local contribution, the test of the utility of an establishment like the Dublin Society, and the condition to be insisted on, in order to justify a grant of public money. With this view it was suggested, that the attendance on the lectures of this Society should cease to be gratuitous, and that

any Lectureship, which did not annually produce £200 at the least, should be suppressed, the professorship should be abolished, and the salary struck out of the Estimate. In this opinion my Lords entirely concur, and feel it expedient that in future the accounts should be rendered and the Estimates founded upon the principles so laid down."

On referring to that report, we think it due to the Committee to state that their Lordships have put a most unwarrantable and forced construction on what is said respecting the Society's lectureships, for there is not one word in the report of suppressing any lectureship, or abolishing any professorship and striking its salary out of the Estimate; but the credit of this interpretation, and the recent changes in the Society, is given by his countrymen to the worthy Irish Secretary to the Treasury.

If the above principle be sound, it will apply with greater effect to the British Museum, in the wealthy metropolis of England, than to the Royal Dublin Society in the capital of Ireland-a city impoverished by the Union which has swept away our nobility and gentry; by the partial decay or absolute ruin of our arts, manufactures, and commerce, and by the breaking up of our national establishments. But has that principle been applied to the British Museum? By no means. On the contrary, its grants of the public money, have of late years been materially increased, and in the last year amounted to nearly thirty thousand pounds, besides twenty thousand pounds voted towards a National Gallery in London, whilst the grants to the Dublin Society have been steadily reduced from ten thousand pounds to the paltry sum of five thousand five hundred pounds. We complain not of those enormous grants for the national establishments of England, but we protest as Irishmen against the application of a principle to our national establishments, which would be ruinous to the national establishments of England. We claim for Ireland her fair share, her equitable portion of the public money, and let the Treasury see that it be honestly expended in the public service.

The proverbial ignorance of our people is one grand cause of their moral degradation. From this ignorance they must be emancipated before they can become either good citizens or good subjects. Whilst the government appears anxious to promote the cause of education in Ireland, the Treasury strangely

overlooks or affects to despise the advantages of gratuitously instructing the pub lic in the useful sciences, in the different departments of Natural History, Natural Philosophy, and Chemistry, and for the poor saving of about three hundred pounds a-year! deprives thousands and tens of thousands of the community of such important means of instruction. This sordid policy is greatly to be deprecated, particularly in the present excited and feverish state of the country.

tuously instructing the public in the useful sciences. We think such instruction capable of producing a great moral effect on the people, and is particularly adapted for our country. Men who acquire a taste for science will very rarely be found in the ranks of political agitators-they will generally be lovers of order and friends to peace. Science humanizes and exalts the mind; it tends to preserve man from mean and vicious pursuits, and prompts him to useful and laudable un

The first general meeting of the Society was held at the Royal Irish Academy, on the 8th of February, on which occasion the Provost, as president, delivered an able and eloquent address, on the advantages likely to be effected for this country, by the proper cultivation of Geology as a science, which has since been published at the request of the Society. During the course of last year, several original papers were read at the general meetings of the Society, among the principal were the following:

A paper on globular formations, by Dr. Stokes.

Two papers on the study of Geological Science, and a paper on the Basaltic district of the north of Ireland, by Captain Portlock, F.G.S. M.R.I.A.

A paper on the transformations of the county of Limerick, by Dr. Apjohn.

And a paper on the Cervus Megaceros, or Fossil-deer of Ireland, by John Harte, Esq. M.R.I.A.

It is not our intention at present to enter into a more detailed account of these communications, which contain much interesting and orignal matter, as we are informed that this Society intends shortly to publish a report of its transactions of the last year.

The Society has now permanently engaged apartments in the Richmond Institution, 37, Upper Sackville-street, where it will in future hold its general and other meetings; and deposit the collection (already made) of specimens, books, maps, &c. for the advantage and convenience of members.

Wm. Ainsworth, Esq. has just delivered an highly interesting and instructive

course of lectures on Geology, under the auspices of the Society, at the Society's apartments, 37, Upper Sackville-street.

At present we have only to say, that in a country like this, which has ever been so much divided by party feeling and political animosity, we are glad to find the introduction of any society, which will furnish (like the present one) some common ground, on which men of all political creeds can meet in harmony, and leaving behind the angry feelings of public life, exert themselves together, for the advancement of science, and the development of the resources of their common country.

On the 29th of November, 1831, a number of highly eminent and influential gentlemen met together at the Provost's house, for the purpose of forming a Geological Society in Dublin, the objects of which, (as stated in the words of their own resolutions) should be, to contribute to the progress of Geological science, by all possible means, and to cultivate more especially such branches of Geology and Mineralogy, as are likely to lead to improvements in manufacture, in agriculture, in the construction of roads and canals, in draining, in searching for coals and other minerals and more particularly in Ireland, where there is reason to believe, that much remains to be discovered, which will reward the labours of patient and intelligent inquiry.

To promote these objects, several resolutions were then passed, and finally a society established, resembling in its constitution, as nearly as possible, that of the Geological Society of London.

The following officers were appointed

On the Grains cultivated in the Belfast Botanic Garden, during last year— read by Mr. Edmund Getty, in which was noticed their respective productiveness, their adaptation to our climate, and their fitness for particular soils.

November 21.

On vision in man and the lower animals, by Dr. H. Purdon, Dr. Purdon commenced his paper by describing briefly the phenomena attending the passage of light through various media, and the alterations produced on its course by different surfaces, he then applied these principles to the human eye, having noticed its structure, and concluded by pointing out the peculiarities to be found in the eyes of the lower animals.

November 28.

On the food and process of nutrition in vegetables, by Mr. James Grimshaw, jun. In this paper, a description was given of those parts of the plant, in which the functions necessary to its individual existence reside; a survey was then taken of the sources whence their food was derived the peculiar nature of the food deduced, and the whole concluded by observations derived from the author's own researches.

December 12.

On the cerebral development of animals as connected with their instincts,

and mental capacities, by Mr. Grattan, illustrated by magnified drawings, and by the crania of different animals.

December 26.

On the geographical distribution of Birds, by Dr. James D. Marshall. The paper was illustrated by a number of splendid specimens of stuffed birds, among which were the following:-The white-headed eagle of North America; the Golden eagle; the sea eagle; the ger falcon; two large and rare species of crane, from the East Indies; the greater bird of paradise; numerous varieties of humming birds. Besides these, many of the following specimens, presented on this evening to the Museum, served as illustrations to this interesting paper:The gigantic crane, measuring 15 feet between the tips of the wings. This bird is an inhabitant of Bengal, and is very rarely brought to Europe; it was presented by Mr. Edmund Getty.-A rhinoceros' horn; presented by Mr. G. C. Hyndman.-A pelican from James Orr, Esq.-A remarkable species of vulture, from the East Indies; presented by Mr. R. S. M'Adam.-A specimen of a rare and beautiful species of duck, also from the East, by Mr. Patterson.—Among the other donations of the evening, were a collection of bird skins, from Chili, transmitted from that country by Mr. James G. Hull, formerly of this town, and now a resident of Santiago de Chili. -Several cases, enclosing specimens of British birds and quadrupeds, and a num