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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[July, 



is at least high time that philosophers, both physical and others, shoultl come 

 to some nearer agreement than appears to prevail as to the meaning they in- 

 tend to convey in speaking of causes and causation. Oh tiieone hand we are 

 told that the grand object of physical inquiry is to explain the phenomena of 

 nature, by referring them to their causes : on the other, that tlie inquiry Into 

 causes is altogether vain and futile, and that Science has no concern, but with 

 tlie discovery of laws. \Vhich of these is the truth P Or are both views of 

 the matter true on a difTerent interpretation of the terms P Whichever view 

 we may take, or whichever interpretation adopt, there is one thing certain, — 

 the extreme inconvenience of such a state of language. This can only be re- 

 formed by a careful analysis of this widest of all human generalizations, dis- 

 entangling from one another the innumerable shades of meaning which have 

 got confounded together in its progress, and establishing among them a rational 

 classification and nomenclature. Until this is done we cannot be sure, that 

 by the relation of cause and ell'ect one and the same kind of relation is under- 

 stood. Indeed, using the words as we do, we are quite sure that the contrary 

 is often the case ; and so long as uncertainty in this respect is suflered to 

 prevail, so long will this unseemly contradiction subsist, and not only preju- 

 dice the science in the eyes of mankind, hut create disunion of feeling, and 

 even give rise to accusations and recriminations on the score of principle 

 imong its cultivators. 



The evil I complain of becomes yet more grievous when the idea of law is 

 brought so prominently forward as not merely to throw into the background 

 that of cause, hut almost to thrust it out of view altogether ; and if not to 

 assume something approaching to the character of direct agency, or at least 

 to place itself in the position of a snbstilute for what mankind in general un- 

 derstand by eiplanation : as when we are told, for example, that the succes- 

 sive appearance of races of organized beings on earth, and theirdisappearance 

 to give place to others, which Geology teaches us, — is a result of some certain 

 law of development, in virtue of w hich an unbroken chain of gradually exalted 

 organization from the crystal to the globule, and thence, through the succes- 

 sive stages of the poIy[ius. the niollusk, the insect, the fish, the reptile, the 

 bird, and the beast, up to the monkey and the man (nay, for aught we know, 

 even to the angel), has been for remains lo be) evolved. Surely, when we 

 bear such a theory, the natural, human craving after causes, capable in some 

 conceivable way of giving rise to such changes and transformations of organ 

 and intellect, — causes u'hy the development at different parts of its progress 

 should divaricate into different lines, — causes, at all events, intermediate be- 

 tween the steps of the development — becomes importunate. And wdien no- 

 thing is offered to satisfy this craving, but loose and vague reference to 

 favourable circumstances of climate, food, and general situation, which no ex- 

 perience has ever shown to convert one species into another; who is there 

 »bo does not at once perceive that such a theory is in no respect more ex- 

 planatory, than that would be which simply asserted a miraculous interven- 

 tion, at every successive step of that unknown series of events, by which the 

 earth has been alternately peopled and dispeopled of its denizens? 



A laiv may be a rule of action, but it is not action. The Great First Agent 

 may lay down a rule of action for himself, and that rule may become known 

 to man by observation of its unilornnty : but constituted as our minds are, 

 and having that conscious knowledge of causation, which is forced upon us 

 by the reality of the distinction between intending a thing, and doing it, we 

 can never substitute the Rule for the .lict. Either directly, or through dele- 

 gated agency, whatever takes place is not merely willed, but done, and what 

 is done we then only declare to be explained, when we can trace a process, 

 an show that it consists of steps analogous to those we observe in occur- 

 rences which have passed often enough before our own eyes to have become 

 familiar, and to be termed natural. So long as no such process can be traced 

 and analyzed out in this manner, so long the phenomenon is une."iplained. and 

 remains equally so whatever be the number of unexplained steps inserted 

 between its beginning ami end. The transition from an inanimate crystal to 

 a globule capable of such endless organic and mtellectual developement, is as 

 great a step— as unexplained a one— as unintelligible to us — and in any human 

 sense of the word as miraculous as the immediate creation and introduction 

 upon earth of every species and every individual would be. Take these amaz- 

 ing facts of geology which way we will, we must resort elsewhere than to a 

 mere speculative law of development for their explanation. 



Retrospect. 

 Visiting as we do once more this scene of one of our earliest and most 

 agreeable receptions — as travellers on the journey of life brought back by the 

 course of events to scenes associated with exciting recollections and the 

 memory of past kindness — we naturally pause and look back on the interval 

 •with that interest which always arises on such occasions, " How has it tared 

 with you meanwhile?" we fancy ourselves asked — "How have you pros- 

 pered ?"—" Has this long interval been well or ill spent?" — "How is it with 

 the cause in w hich you beve embarked ?"_" Has it flourished or receded, and 

 to what extent have you been able to advance it?" To all these questions 

 we may, I believe, conscientiously, and with some self-gratulation, answer— 

 WtU ! The young and then but partially fledged institution has become es- 



tablished and matured. Its principles have been brought to uniformity and 

 consistency, on rules which, on the whole, have been found to work accord- 

 ing to the expectations of its founders. Its practice has been brought to uni- 

 formity and consistency, on rules which, on the whole, have been fouud pro- 

 ductive of no inconvenience to any of the parties concerned. Our calls for 

 reports on the actual stale and deficiencies of important branches of science, 

 and on the most promising lines of research in them, have been answered by 

 most valuable and important essays from men of the first eminence in their 

 respective departments, not only condensing what is known, but adding 

 largely to it, and in a multitude of cases entering very extensively indeed into 

 original inquiries and investigations — of which Mr. Scott Russell's Report on 

 Waves, and Mr. Carpenter's on the Structure of Shells, and several others in 

 the most recently published volume of our Reports, that for the York meet- 

 ing last summer, may be specified as conspicuous instances. 



Independent of these Reports, the original communications read or ver- 

 bally made to our several Sections, have been in the highest degree interesting 

 and copious ; not only as illustrating and extending almost every branch of 

 science, but as having given rise to discussions and interchanges of idea and 

 information between the members present, of Mhich it is perfectly impossible 

 to appreciate sufficiently the influence and value. Ideas ihus communicated 

 fructify in a wonderful manner on subsequent reflection, and become, 1 am 

 persuaded, in innumerable cases, the germs of theories, and the connecting 

 links between distant regions of thought, which might have otherwise con- 

 tinued indefinitely dissociated. 



How far this Association has hitherto been instrumental in fulfilling the 

 ends for which it was called into existence, can, however, he only imperfectly 

 estimated from these considerations. Science, as it stands at present, is nut 

 merely advanced by sjieculaiion and thought; it stands in need of material 

 appliances and means ; its pursuit is costly, and to those who pursue it for 

 its own sake, utterly unremuncrative, however largelv the community may 

 benefit by its applications, and however successfully practical men may turn 

 their own or others' discoveries to account. Hence arises a wide field tor 

 scientific utility in the application of pecuniary resources in aid of private 

 research, and one in which assuredly this Association has not held back its 

 hand. I have had the curiosity to cast up the sums which have been actually 

 paid, or are now in immediate course of payment, on account of grants fur 

 scientific purposes by this Association since its last meeting at this place, and 

 1 find them to amount to not less than \\,\Sli. And when it is recollected 

 that in no case any portion of these grants applied to cover any personal ex- 

 pense, it will easily be seen how very large an amount of scientific activiiy 

 has been biought into play by its exertions in this respect, to say nothing of 

 the now very numerous occasions in which the attention and aid of Govern" 

 ment has been effectually drawn to sjiecific objects at our instance. 



As regards the general progress of Science within the interval I have alluded 

 to, it is far too wide a field for me now to enter upon, and it would be need- 

 less to do so in this assembly, scarcely a man of which has not been actively 

 employed in urging on the triumphant march of its chariot wheels, and felt 

 in his own person the high excitement of success joined with that noble glow 

 which is the result of companionship in honourable effort. May such ever 

 be the prevalent feeling among us. True Science, like true Religion, is wid« 

 embracing in its extent and aim. Let interests divide the worldly and jea- 

 lousies torment the envious! We breathe, or long to breathe, a purer em- 

 pyrean. The common pursuit of Truth is of itself a brotherhood. In these 

 our annual meetings, to which every corner of Britain — almost every nation 

 in Europe sends forth as its representative some distinguished cultivator of 

 some separate branch of know ledge ; where, 1 would ask, is so vast a variety 

 of pursuits which seem to have hardly anything in common, are we to look 

 for that acknowledged source of delight which draws us together and inspires 

 us with a sense of unity ? That astronomers should congregate to talk of stars 

 and planets — chemists of atoms — geologists of strata — is natural enough ; but 

 what is there of equal mutual interest, equally connected with and equatfy 

 pervading all they are engaged upon, which causes their hearts to burn 

 within them for mutual communication and bosoming ? Surely, were each of 

 us to give utterance to all he feels, we should hear the Chemist, the Astrono- 

 mer, the Physiologist, the Electrician, the Botanist, the Geologist, all wiih 

 one accord, and each in the language of his own science, declaring not only 

 the wonderful works of God disclosed by it, but the delight which their dis- 

 closure aflfords him, and the privilege he feels it to be to ha\e aided in it. 

 This is indeed a magnificent induction — a consilience there is no refusing. It 

 leads us to look onward, through the long vista of time, with chastened but 

 confident assurance that Science has still other and nobler work to do than 

 any she has yet attempted ; w'ork, which before she is prepared to attempt, 

 the minds of men must be prepared to receive the attempt, — prepared, 1 mean 

 by an entire conviction of the wisdom of her views, the purity of her objects 

 and the faithfulness of her disciples. 



