The Ethics of Opinion. 249 
temporaneous sediments, which gradually consolidate into 
rocks. It is well known that both gold and silver are found 
in sea-water, and under favourable conditions deposits of 
those metals may still be going on in some of the rocks now 
forming at the bottom of the ocean. 
It would be impossible to detail in a paper of this kind 
the number of minute observations made extending over 
many years, and forming a strong chain of evidence leading 
up to the same deductions. Ihave therefore endeavoured to 
lay before the Royal Society an outline of the views I have 
formed on this subject—one of some scientific interest, and of 
great practical importance to this colony—partly with the 
hope of inducing other labourers to enter the field. What- 
ever advance may be made will not be due to investigations 
conducted in the closet only, but it must in a great measure 
depend on the careful and intelligent noting of the facts 
observed by those engaged in practical mining. © 
At present these observations only add to individual expe- 
rience, and unfortunately pass away with the individual ; 
but if some system could be adopted for collecting and 
arranging the facts noted by different observers, say some 
plan similar to that by means of which Maury has given 
such an impulse to navigation, I believe an equal impulse 
would be given to our mines, through the greater certainty 
a knowledge of the laws which govern the deposition of 
metals would give to mining enterprise. 
It may even be worthy of consideration whether a section 
of this Society might not be usefully employed in carrying 
out some plan of collecting and arranging the observations 
now lost. 
ArT. XVII] —The Ethics of Opinion and Action. 
By H. K. Ruspen. 
[Read 9th September, 1867.] 
Mr. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE RoyYAL SocIETY, 
It may be considered that I owe you some apology for 
venturing to ask your attention to a paper in the form of 
that which I am about to read; as it is in fact, simply 
a critique upon an/article in Frazer’s Magazine. Still though 
only a review, it contains as quotations all the salient por- 
tions of the essay criticised ; and I think that the mode 
8 
