108 Mr. Paikes' additional Observations 



the subject should have been so much obscured by those whose 

 business it was to throw light upon it." If the changes which 

 they speak of, do actually take place in oil, and if they ad- 

 mit of such easy and philosophical explanation, why have they 

 not condescended to explain them ? They know full well what 

 the public expects from them ; how extraordinary then is it, 

 that they have not given these explanations long ago, and put 

 to the blush any one who might assert, that they found them- 

 selves in a deplorable difficulty, and not having courage to con- 

 fess their errors, intended extricating themselves by the use 

 of many words. Instead of a book of mere invective, had 

 they published a volume of facts faithfully detailed, and such 

 as bore properly on the question, the public would have given 

 them credit for good intention, and would have been inclined 

 to believe, that whatever was still mysterious, might possibly 

 " admit of easy and philosophical explanation." But they are 

 " surprised that the subject should have been so much obscured 

 by those whose business it was to throw light upon it." 



Yes, indeed, the subject has been obscured, and it may be 

 observed, by the bye, that the difference in the results of those 

 experiments, which were detailed by the Associates in court, 

 was of itself enough to obscure the subject ; to say nothing of 

 the perplexity which their deviation in the construction of the 

 apparatus threw into it. The public, however, know by this 

 time, which party has obscured the subject, — it is evident also, 

 that the Juries who tried the three separate actions which were 

 brought by Messrs. Severn and Co., well knew — and that the 

 Directors of the Globe Insurance Office well knew — as they 

 not only completely abandoned the idea of danger from the oil- 

 apparatus — the very thing which these Associates had for twelve 

 months been labouring to establish, but to the utter discomfiture 

 of these Associates, actually directed the counsel to declare in 

 court, that they were perfectly satisfied, that this apparatus 

 lessened the danger — and so convinced were the Directors of 

 the Globe Fire Office respecting the question, whether these 

 Associates, or the gentlemen with whom I act, had obscured the 

 subject, that they did not tliink fit to put any one of these 



