246 



wire of any length, without sensible diminution. This dis- 

 covery Prof. Henry gave to the public in Silliman's Journal, 

 in 1830, in an article which Mr. Gavit showed, and from 

 which extracts were read. This was more than a year be- 

 fore Prof. Morse says he conceived the telegraph. 



A general debate followed in regard to the early forms 

 of telegraphs, their principles and mechanism, &c, after 

 which the Institute adjourned. 



February 2, 1858. 



Joel Munsell in the chair. 



After announcing donations and other miscellaneous busi- 

 ness, Dr. Franklin B. Hough read a paper on The Kegis- 

 tration of Births, Deaths and Marriages. 



The first use of such a registration, he showed to be the 

 furtherance of the ends of justice in providing the means 

 of proving by actual records the time and place of the 

 several events embraced in the registration. The second 

 use he explained to be the furnishing the means of prose- 

 cuting these great generalizations which have regard to 

 the natural history of our species ; by which the laws of 

 life and population are reduced to strict mathematical 

 rules. 



Dr. Hough explained what he believed to be the methods 

 most likely to be successful in obtaining the necessary de- 

 tails from each locality ; and pointed out the defects and 

 causes of failure of the previous laws of registration in 

 New York. According to his plan the whole business 

 should be placed in the hands of the secretary of state. 

 In cities a modified form of the modes of registration now 

 used in the city of New York might be employed. In the 

 country, the town clerk should be required by law to col- 

 lect the statistics of the town and transmit them to the 

 secretary of state. Blanks and explanations should be fur- 

 nished by the secretary of state, and all persons charged with 

 duties under the law should receive a fixed compensation. 



The Institute then adjourned. 



