266 The American Geologist. October. 189 1 
their colleagues, were t<> a great extent late. This was perhaps the 
reason why the business was conducted without that lull discussion and 
opportunity for deliberation to which the Anglo-Saxon element is accus- 
tomed. 
The French, who are the most systematic people in the world in spile 
of their excitability, have their own wa\ of dealing- with legislative and 
judicial assemblies. We consider their methods somewhat arbitrary, 
especially in the latter class where the judge interrogates the accused, 
and in the course of his remarks attributes to him a motive and a com- 
plete chain of acts before any proof of either has been produced. Still, 
this tendency is the result of the French desire to "trancher" the 
complication, to cut theGordian knot instead of trying to untie it: and 
it must be said that generally the •'judge" has a righteous cause, and 
generally justice is meted out to the criminal more rapidly than it 
would be under English and American laws. 
In parliamentary debate the French method is also different from 
that expounded in Cushing's Manual, Robert's Rules of Order, etc.. but 
in the main, up to the moment when the presiding officer puts on his hat 
as a result of too much complication or too general infraction of order. 
everyone has a moderately fair chance to be heard. The rules applied 
by M. Renevier. however, were of the most arbitrary character and 
seemed to proceed from his desire to accomplish some, to him, desirable 
end. Thus, when the councihwas called together at 8:30 or8:25 and the 
official minutes of the meeting were distributed among the members. 
they were declared adopted before anyone had an opportunity to read 
them, in default of any specific objection. It is true that a member of 
the council interposed to prevent the arbitrary subversion of the funda- 
mental laws of the congress adopted at the Bologna session, making- 
French the official language, and requiring communications presented 
in other languages to be resumeed in French, from applying to any but 
the Zurich session: but as a rule the statements which appeared in the 
report remained there, though a careful examination would have doubt- 
less led to many corrections. 
A most extraordinary proposition was made by the president that the 
minutes of the assembler generale could be approved by the council 
and adopted, without giving the opportunity to those members of the 
congress who were not in the council to modify or object. This propo- 
sition was opposed by nearly half the members of the council, but was 
carried by a majority of two votes. 
Another matter came up which could not but greatly astonish the 
members. At the seance of the congress held in Bologna in 1881, Prof, 
( 'apelliui induced the king of Italy to offer a prize of about (i.OOO francs 
for the best competitive treatise on certain geological subjects. A num- 
ber of works were forwarded, and a committee was appointed to inspect 
them, which finally reported that in its judgment none had fulfilled the 
conditions which would entitle the competitor to the first prize. Nev- 
ertheless a prize of about 1,100 francs was awarded to the contribution 
adjudged the best, and on opening the envelope containing the name of 
