PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 273 



The above abstract has shown that religious and moral culti- 

 vation, together with sufficient employment, were the means which 

 the lecturer considered as best adapted to provide for the security 

 of Capital invested in Irisli improvement. The rest of the paper 

 contained observations of the relation which exists between a go- 

 vernment and the people governed, as well as some strictures on 

 the government of Ireland, which our limits do not allow us to 

 follow. We have, however, omitted nothing of the lecturer's main 

 proposition. 



October 23rd. — Rev. Mr. St. John's Lecture on ^* The 

 Logical method of enquiry J^ 



In the first section, the lecturer showed how the question in 

 matters of enquiry was obtained; he defined the term question, 

 and explained and illustrated the process by which the main 

 question was determined. He explained and illustrated the 

 manner in which logical enquiry is conducted : — I., whether the^ 

 subject of enquiry exists: II., what is the subject of enquiry: 

 III., what kind of thing is the subject of enquiry, and showed 

 the application of these methods in proof of the main question. 



In the second section he pointed out how the main question 

 is divided into the questions, on which it depends for proof; 

 and how the questions for proof were obtained ; I., by considering 

 words in the main question: II., by considering the matter 

 contained in words, whether necessarily or conditionally. He 

 proposed as a question for illustration. Whether the classical 

 instruction at public schools is an efficient preparation for the 

 professions of life ? this question was divided into the several 

 questions on which it depended for proof; whence it followed 

 that the preparation was not efficient. 



In the third section, he showed how the state of a question 

 was determined ; defined the state of a question, and proved 

 that it was most easily determined by the adversary's argument. 

 He illustrated, by Cicero's oration for Plancius, the state of the 

 question — whether the classical instruction at public schools 

 was an efficient preparation for tlie professions of life ? He conclu- 

 ded by enforcing, the importance of being able to ascertain the 

 state of the question. 



Mr. Swain had proposed to deliver a lecture on " Respiration'* 

 this evening, but was prevented by unforeseen circumstances, 

 the Rev. Mr. St. John kindly offered his paper as a substitute. 



VOL. IV. — 1834. LL 



