Visit to the British association. 
121 
Containing most of the best works on Natural History. The Museum is very 
liberally thrown open to the working classes on certain evenings, and in this 
respect is an example to every similar institution in the kingdom. 
At the Hall of the Society of Arts a room was set apart for the exhibition of 
models, specimens of art, and objects of Natural History. The models, Ac., were 
Very numerous, but of specimens of Natural History I saw none. 
During the week a requisition was made to the Mayor, to call a public meeting 
for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of forming Horticultural 
and Zoological Gardens. There are none at present at Newcastle, but there is 
no doubt that they will quickly have some; and from the good sense and taste 
displayed by the inhabitants in so many 5 of their public institutions, they will 
probably be formed and conducted on a plan worthy of the town. 
On Friday some of the Sections made a holiday. One party went to the opening 
of a new railway bridge over the Wear, and narrowly escaped being precipitated 
over the parapet, a distance., it is said, of 157 feet.-—Another party made an 
excursion to Tynemouth, and from thence along the coast to Cullercoats. It 
consisted chiefly of geologists, and their day's pleasure was much enhanced by the 
efforts of Professor Sedgwick, who during their walk occasionally took his station 
on a projecting rock, and discoursed, in his happy manner, on the nature of the 
strata and other objects of geological interest, with which they were surrounded. 
On Saturday the business closed, and the General Committee met for the 
purpose of making grants of money for scientific purposes, &c. The following 
sums were voted:—Mathematics and Physics,.£2,263 ; Mechanics, £598; Geo¬ 
logy, £325 ; Statistics, £300; Chemistry, £150; Medicine, £100; Zoology 
and Botany, £ 6 . Total, £3,742. Nobody can but be surprised at the smallness 
of the grant in the latter compared with the former sections. Physical science is 
unquestionably important to the commercial interests of our nation; but are 
there not inquiries connected with the sciences of Chemistry, Anatomy, Zoology 
and Botany, just as important ? The fact is, these latter sciences are not pets in 
our old Universities, and the affairs of the Association seem chiefly to be directed 
by Professors residing in these places, or by aristocrats educated there. An 
instance of the disposition there is to suppress the recommendations of these latter 
Sections occurred at the late meeting. The Chemical and Medical Section made 
a request for £200 to bring over from America Alexis St. Martin, whose name 
is well known to physiologists in this country, as the subject of the experiments 
on digestion by Dr. Beaumont. This was refused. The Marquis of Northamp¬ 
ton is reported to have objected to the grant, because, forsooth, the object was 
“disgusting"! Undoubtedly many of the subjects investigated by anatomists 
and physiologists would be disgusting to gentlemen of fortune, educated at 
