758 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



question once for all, and, after taking a score of Blue-books full of 

 evidence, to decide either that there should he no steam tram-cars, or 

 that steam tramways should be immediately laid down between all the 

 villages in the kingdom ? The House of Lords did take the former 

 course two sessions ago, and prohibited the use of steam on tramways, 

 because it might frighten horses. In the next session they felt the 

 folly of opposing the irresistible, and expressly allowed the evj^eri- 

 mental use of steam on tramways. 



It may, perhaps, be objected that these are matters of physical 

 science and practical engineering, in which the supremacy of experi- 

 ment has long been recognized. That is not wholly so ; for the suc- 

 cess of a system, like that of the railways or tramways, depends much 

 upon social considerations. However that may be, there is no diffi- 

 culty in showing that the same principles apply to the most purely 

 social institutions. If anything, it is the social side of an enterprise 

 which is usually most doubtful, and most in need of experiment when 

 it can be applied. To construct the Thames Tunnel was a novel and 

 difficult work at the time, but not so difficult as to get the populace to 

 use it. The Great Eastern steamship was another instance of a great 

 mechanical success, which was a social and economical failure. Many 

 like cases might be mentioned, such as the real-ice rinks lately in- 

 vented. 



How is it that any kind of purely social institution is Tisually estab- 

 lished? Take the case of the Volunteer Force. This was commenced, 

 not to sjieak of earlier movements, or the ancient Honorable Artillery 

 Company, by a few isolated experiments, such as that of the Exeter 

 Rifle Corps in 1852, and the Victoria Rifle Corps in 1853. These suc- 

 ceeded so well that, when in 1859 fears of invasion were afloat, the 

 imitative process set in rapidly. Of course wise, practical people 

 laughed at the mania for playing at soldiers, and most people clearly 

 foresaw that, when once the volunteers had got tired of their new 

 uniforms, the whole thing would collapse. But experience has decided 

 very differently. The force, instead of declining, has gone on steadily 

 growing and substantially improving, until a good authority lately 

 spoke of it as the only sound part of our military system. How much 

 has the wisdom of Parliament had to do with the creation of this 

 force? I believe that even now the Government and the military 

 classes do not appreciate what the volunteer force has done for us by 

 removing all fear of safety at home and enabling the standing army 

 to be freely sent abroad. 



Take, again, the case of poj^ular amusements. Would Parliament 

 ever think of defining by act of Parliament when and how people 

 shall meet to amuse themselves, and what they shall do, and when 

 they shall have had enough of it ? Must not people find out by trial 

 what pleases and what does not ? The late Mr. Sergeant Cox is said to 

 have invented penny readings for the people, and they answered so 



