SCIENTIFIC AND LITERARY NOTES. 885 



x)f an evening party. In private life the master of the house is often turned out 

 of his library and other haunts when the mistress gives a ball, and his studious 

 leather armchair made use of by young ladies eating ices in the intervals of 

 dancing. So it was on Saturday at Westminster, and fair young girls in opera 

 cloaks spread themselves all over the sombre green benches of the House of 

 Commons, sitting in the Speaker's chair, or enacting Sergeant-at-Arms for a 

 few brief moments in that functionary's huge /auteuil. 



We cannot pretend to give even a catalogue of the papers read during the 

 week. Our space admits but of a very brief selection. 



In the International Department, Dr. Travers Twiss has delivered what should 

 have been an inaugural address. It was a comprehensive digest of the history 

 of international law. 



In the section of jurisprudence, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, who presided, has delivered 

 an address, containing an eloquent comment on the constitution of England, 

 but strongly condemning the confused state into which the common and statute 

 law have been brought, and urging the necessity of codification. 



The relations of trade and the means of settling differences between masters 

 and workmen have engaged a large share of the attention of the social economy 

 section ; and it is fau' to add that the masters do not have it all their own way 

 in the controversy. The workmen find plenty of advocates. 



Mr. J. Heywood has read a paper on " College Scholarships," in which he 

 described the character of the examinations by which such appointments are 

 obtained at Oxford and Cambridge. 



Public Amusements. — Mr. J. Hyde has read an interesting paper upon the sub- 

 ject of the amusements of the working classes. He staled that places of public 

 amusement derived their support from the craving of the people for the excite- 

 ment of vivid and novel sensations, that animal excitements obtained the largest 

 support, and that of intellectual amusements the following order was observed :— 

 First, periodical literature, then the drama, then concerts, negro entertainments 

 and burlesque performances, then panoramas and exhibitions, then lectures and 

 libraries, and lastly, discussion and other classes. It was necessary to provide 

 better and higher class amusements to meet the wants of the working classes, 

 or vicious and unscrupulous men would supply the deficiency for them, and it 

 was necessary that those amusements should partake something of the form and 

 character of those at present in vogue. He recommended, therefore, the estab- 

 lishment of small garden allotments in the suburbs of all towns for the labouring 

 classes, and that flower, fruit, and vegetable shows should be encouraged 

 amongst them. He recommended also the establishment of bowling greens, 

 skittle grounds, quoit grounds, and cricket clubs, detached from public-houses, 

 and where neither beer nor strong liquors should be introduced. Men were not 

 to be won to Temperance by tea-drinking and experience-relating meetings, and 

 he believed more was to be done in the cause in the way he had pointed out 

 than by any other means. With regard to the drama, Colley Cibber once said 

 that two theatres were as many as London could find performers for or 

 audiences to support, whereas there were now no less than sixteen, beyond 

 the vast number of public recitations and readings from plays, affording a 



