318 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
to take it as an example, and refer each item of news to its place in 
our classification. Thus, taking a few at random : * — 
Subject. 
Society. 
Subject of Table. 
Minor Table. 
1. Irish Land Bill. 
Ireland. 
Ultimate Partition. 
Territory. 
2. Opening of Leith ) 
Dock. j 
Scotland. 
Mediate Products. 
Movement (Trans- 
port). 
3. Funeral of 
En gland. 
Organisms. Loss. 
Death. 
4. Amount of Revenue. 
Britain. 
Mediate Partition. 
Nil, Co-ordination, <fcc. 
5. Wreck of Shetland ) 
Fishing Fleet. j 
Scotland. 
((a) Products. Loss. 
((b) Organisms. Loss. 
Exploitation, by 
Storm. 
Death. 
6. American Wheat 
United States. > 
Energy. 
Exploitation. Veg. 
Crop. 
Canada. j 
Food. 
7. Daring Murder. 
England. 
((a) Occupations. C. 
((b) Organisms. Loss. 
Destructive Crime. 
Death. 
8. Opening of New f 
Hospital. j 
England. 
Ultimate Partition of 
Ult. Prod. and 
Services. 
Occupations C. Dis- 
abled. 
But such an arrangement of the actual passing economic actions, 
though instructive, is quite insufficient. As from our system of 
astronomical knowledge it is necessary to deduce the art of naviga- 
tion, so from our system of sociological knowledge we must derive 
the jrt of conduct. This want has been thoroughly felt by all the 
different economic schools — so thoroughly indeed, as to lead, as was 
before remarked, to the frequent obscuring of the scientific object 
altogether. A classification and criticism of the practical projects 
of the various schools should here find place, if space permitted. 
This, however, may for the time being be dispensed with, since we 
find complete absence of unanimity, individualism being opposed 
by socialism, free-trade by protectionism, and so on. Thus, as we 
have as yet no criterion of morals or expediency, but simply our 
knowledge of the preliminary sciences, and since it is not the 
practice of the preliminary sciences to accept mere authority, such 
opposing schools must for the time being be considered as neutralis- 
ing each other. 
What, then, is to guide us in the construction of rules of prac- 
tical economics 1 Shall we rest contented with such a survey of 
practical action as our classified newspaper affords us, and do as 
others do ? This is an important principle of action, as custom and 
fashion bear witness, yet hardly needs detailed exposure of its 
* With the limitation stated at page 311, note 2, the reader may continue 
this with any journal. See also author’s paper, Brit. Ass. 1881, and “Nature,” 
29 Sept. 1881, for similar classification of anthropological and economic papers. 
