208 POPULAR LECTURES AND ADDRESSES. 



the department to which this Society is devoted, 

 but in all branches of the grand profession of 

 engineering, of which he is so distinguished an 

 ornament. 



Before we commence the business of the session 

 upon which we are now entering, may I be per- 

 mitted to offer a few remarks on the relations 

 between science and practice in engineering in 

 u-ral, but more particularly in telegraphic en- 

 gineering. Engineering may be defined as the 

 application of practical science to man's material 

 circumstances and means of action. As usual in 

 classification, the nomenclature of branches of 

 engineering is full of what the logician calls cross- 

 divisions. Thus we have civil and military 

 engineering, and again, civil and mechanical 

 ;irrring ; then architecture; and building, en- 

 Ting and contracting. \Ve have, it is true, 

 in the distinction between military and civil 

 ni-rring agood logical division. Kvery subject 

 of civil engineer! included in military rn- 



rring, because an army has all the wants of 

 large body of civilian^. Hut military en- 



