PROCEEDI^'GS OF THE POLYTECJSmC ASSOCIATION. 1055 



when Charles I got nicely seated on the throne the}'- commenced 

 operations on him. Finally in 1631 the Clockraakers Company of 

 London was incorporated by royal charter. This company had full 

 powers to make by-laws for the government of all persons using the 

 trade in London, or within ten miles thereof, and for the regulation 

 of the trade throughout the kingdom, and to prohibit the importa- 

 tion of any clocks of foreign manufacture. Power was also given 

 them by their charter to enter any ship, warehouse or shop where they 

 might suspect bad or deceitful works were to be found, with full power 

 to destroy them. The town was divided into districts and periodical 

 searches were made. The company tried for many years to obtain 

 a liver}^, but did not succeed until about 1765, and on Lord Mayor's 

 day, 1767, they joined in the procession in their new uniform, and, 

 report says, made a genteel appearance. The despotism of this 

 " ring " among the trade had no limits. 



I shall close my long paper with a single anecdote illustrating 

 English claims. Wood relates that Dr. Bigsley espied an old and 

 curious looking clock in a furniture broker's shop of London, and 

 inquired of the shopman M'hether it was Dutch or English. " Oh ! 

 English," he replied; it was made by Thomas Fudgit, and I have 

 often seen clocks of his make." The Doctor was puzzled for a 

 moment, but on a closer examination of the much corroded iron dial, 

 he saw engraved the oft-repeated warning, which admonishes me to 

 close, " Tempus fugit^ " Time llies ! " 



Adjourned. 



April 28, 1870. 



Professor S. D. Tillman in the chair; Robert Weir, Esq., Secretary. 

 The Chairman presented the following scientific memoranda : 



New Colorimeter. 

 M. Duboseq, of France, has invented a new instrument for measur- 

 ing the differences of tint in solutions. Two glass cylindrical vessels, 

 containing the liquids to be tested, are placed side by side on a shelf; 

 in each is a smaller tube closed at the lower extremity by a glass 

 disk, which may be raised or lowered by means of a pinion having 

 fastened to it a vernier moving over a graduated scale, so as to mea- 

 sure the distance between the bottom of the vessel and the lower 

 disk of the movable tube. Luminous rays are transmitted througli 



