Oana ee 
228 State of Public Affairs. 
fiill farther. A mixture fomewhat fimi- 
Jar, but with a diverfity of the ingredi- 
ents, has been found by him, to be ufe- 
fully applicable to utenfils of copper and 
caft-iron. Copper is well known to be 
fubje&t to an oxidation amidft culinary 
ufes, the confequences of which make it 
not a little dangerous to human life. 
Tinning i is not always permanently effec- 
tual, to prevent thofe mifchiefs which are 
apt to enfue from the ufe of copper. 
Mr. Hicx.ey believes, that thefe may 
be entirely prevented by the ule of his 
vitrifiable mixture,.as a coating for copper 
veffels. To all utenfils of caft iron, the 
fame coating is equally on ted to give a 
beauty anda fitnefs for wholefome ufe, 
by which they muft be exceedingly im- 
proved. 
_The objects of this patent, feem to be 
of great importance. It is much to be 
wifhed, that the author cf the invention, 
may find it amply lucrative. 
Mr. MipHurRstT’s PATENT FOR A 
WIND-ENGINE. 
The fuperiority of human reafon, is 
perhaps, in nothing, more con{picuous, 
than in its power to fubjeétto our ule, 
the fubtleft and moft apparently unccn- 
trolable elements of nature: water, fire, 
air, and all the gafes, the great engines of 
the phytical operations of the deity, fem 
to conier a tupernatural potency upon 
man whenever he is able to wield them. 
[May 
In the ufe of all thefe, aftonifhing im- 
provements have been made in the courfe 
of the prefent century. The laf and 
moft important have taken place i in regard 
to the eany: engine. Nor is there reafon 
for fearing, that this fort of improvement | 
fhould top here. That new knowledge 
of the nature of air which we have derived 
from the pneumatic chemiftry cannot but 
give rife to many more improvements in 
the ufeful arts, than have, hitherto, been 
derived from it. 
Mr. MIDHURST’s invention of a 
WIND-ENGINE for which he has lately 
obtained a patent, isa natural refult from 
the attention which has been paid te all 
the phenomena of air. His invention 
is to be carried into effeét in connexion 
with a wind-mill. By a pipe properly 
filled, it condu&ts a ftream air from the 
fails of the wind-mill into a magazine 
under-ground, in which that air-under- 
goes an exceflive comprefiion and conden- 
iation, diminifhing its volume, and increa{- 
ing its elafticity. From this meageziue, 
the air thus condenfed, is to be conducted 
by a different pipe, to where it may per- 
form, in its expanfion, all the mighty me- 
chanical effeéts of water or of fteam. - 
The invention is ingenious, and cannot 
fail to prove ufeful. We with the in- 
ventor, all reafonable honour and emolw- 
ment from his patent. 

STATE (OF PUBLIC 
AFFAIRS, 
In April, 1709. 
FRANCE. 
HE prefent fyftem of public inftruc- 
tion in France has lately met with 
an opponent in Boulay, of the council of 
five hundred. On the 7th of April, on 
the openme of the difcuffion on that 
fubjeci, he obferved, that the fyftem was 
defective, as it only “efhablithiedt one maiter 
ain every chief place of a diftriét, and be 
did not think it probable that the young 
people of the country would neglect the 
labour fo neceflary to their Suppor t, and 
walk feyeral miles for the purpofe of 
Jearning to read and write. It ha been 
fiated in fayour of the meafure, that the 
{chool!ls would be fubje&t to a minute fu- 
perintendance on the part of the magif- 
trates; but, fuchan authority, he thought 
enly calculated to make the mafter ex- 
chHinvely attentive to the improvement of 
the children of juftices of the peaee, and 
ether perfons in power. With refpect 
to the viclence propofed to be ufed, to 
force parents to fend their children to 
the national {chocols, he declared, that 
nothing could be more repugnant to the 
true {piri it of liberty than {uch a meaiure, 
He didnot deny that government fhould 
carefully fuperintend public inftruciion, 
but contended nes infirpation fhould be 
completely free. Sbould the government 
fucceed in effes ting a peace, there was no 
doubt but the people would find them- 
felves at their eaic, and that arts and, 
commerce would  flourifh without 
the extraordinary meafnres which were 
now propofed to embarrals public in- 
ftzu Sion. 
Since the declaration of war, feveral 
hard fought battles have taken place*. 


* For the more perfpicuous elucidation of 
the late ations, as well as cf the campaiga 
in general, we have annexed to the prefent 
Number anew map of the feat of war, A 
