450 The International Horticultural Exhibition [duly, 
of the paper. On the 24th, the Congress held at the same hour its 
second and final session. The attendance each time was large and 
brilliant, many ladies being present. These two meetings will long 
be remembered as a happy and instructive holiday by those who 
were so fortunate as to take part in them. Many were the personal 
acquaintances made there for the first time, by horticulturists and 
botanists, who had previously only known each other by name and 
reputation. Nearly fifty papers in English, French, German, and 
Italian were sent in to the Congress, the principal topics discussed 
in these papers being the practice of horticulture, vegetable mor- 
phology and physiology, structural botany, the geographical 
diffusion of plants, and their classification. The company assembled 
included M. De Candolle of Geneva, Professor Koch of Berlin, M. 
Reichenbach of Hamburg, M. Lecoq of Clermont Ferrand, M. Caspary 
of Konigsberg, M. Weddell of Poitiers, M. Meissner of Basle, Pro- 
fessor Morren of Liege, M. Schulz Bipontinus of Deidesheim, M. 
Van Houtte of Ghent, M. Linden of Brussels, Verschaffelt of 
Ghent, Van Heuzck of Antwerp, Wendland of Hanover, Triana 
of New Granada, and the principal British botanists: Bennett and 
Gray, of the British Museum; Berkeley, Bentley, Hogg, Masters, 
Howard, and Ward, of London; Dr. Daubeny, of Oxford; Dr. 
Moore, of Dublin; and Dr. Dickson, of Edinburgh. 
In opening the Congress, the president, Professor De Candolle, 
said :—“ Before I commence my address in French, allow me to say a 
few words in English: first, as a mark of respect to this great 
country, and next in explanation of my views for the conduct of 
the present and future meetings of this kind. We have to choose 
between two alternatives, either that every member should speak in 
his own language, or in that of the country where the Congress 
meets. This last method would destroy the equality between 
members which is desirable in every public assembly, not a few 
would be reduced to silence, or, at least, prevented from taking 
part in the discussions, and several distinguished men would, there- 
fore, avoid international congresses. The other plan, of letting 
every one speak in his own language, appears to be much more 
convenient. For these reasons I shall address you in French, and 
in doing so I establish, in fact, the right of every Englishman to 
speak in English at Paris or at Berlin, at Florence or at Vienna, 
under similar circumstances.” 
