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ingenious treatise which had recently been published by Mr. 
Billings, in which the method of construction in Carlisle 
Cathedral was clearly developed. The subject was one of 
the greatest importance to the advancement of architectural 
science, for it would assuredly lead to the adoption of fixed 
principles, and remedy the numerous defects which arise 
from the practice of blindly following what has been done 
before, without any regard to the objects for which buildings 
are specially intended. 
The following paper was then read : — 
ON THE PRESERVATION OF RAILWAY SECTIONS, AND OF 
ACCOUNTS OF BORINGS, SINKINGS, ETC., IN ELUCI- 
DATION OF THE MEASURES RECENTLY TAKEN BY 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION BY THOMAS SOPWITH, 
ESQ. F.G.S., NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. 
The blank chart which accompanies this paper has been 
prepared by a Committee appointed by the British Associ- 
ation at Glasgow, in 1840, with a view to the collection 
and preservation of a regular series of sections of railway 
cuttings, which, by their intersection of mineral districts or 
of rocks presenting any remarkable geological features, 
may afford useful information, and be worthy of being kept 
as geological and mining records. 
An object apparently so easy of attainment, and of such 
obvious importance and utility, seems scarcely to require 
comment, and it would appear more surprising that it should 
in any case have been neglected, than that any arguments 
should be required to enforce its general observance. The 
facts of the case, however, are a sufficient evidence that due 
attention has not hitherto been devoted to this interesting 
department of geology and engineering; for on many lines 
of railway no measures have been taken to preserve a regular 
