REVIEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 4039, 5 February 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

REVIEWS.

‘The Dawn of Animal Life’; Professor W C. Williamsm, F. K.S. Eeith and Wilkie! Princes street, Dunedin, a-d W. Collins, Sons, and Co., London and Glasgow. ‘ls Man an Antoma f on?’ Dr B. Carpenter L.L.D., M.D., F.E.S., F.S.L, F.G.s! Ibid.

It is fortunate for the youth of New Zealand that all that is worthy < f being known ; s now-a-days recorded and made public by able men at Home, and forwarded to the Colonies for general instiuction. The facilities for national intercommunication afforded by our relationship with the old world i lace us on a level with its inhabitants in sharing in the advantages and pleasures of science. Printing and steam are the magiciins which place knowledge within the reach of all, and by whose agency, mysteries inexplicable to the mo-t advanced among the and nts, become farailiir tru:hs with the children of to-day. The two leer,ores, the titles of which are plac'd at the head of this notice are on widely different, but equally interesting subjects. Each opens up a new word to those not acquainted with the latest discoveries of science. The titles may not prove very attractive; perhaps even through an idea that the spbject-niatter is too abstiu e or that it may prove but dry, or that* it may in some way or other lead to religious scepticism, some may he induced to p.iss them by. They may di-mssallsuchfears “'J he Dawn of Animal Life ” surpasses in interest the highest efforts of human imagination in the creation of fiction. It tells of organisations unsuspected by the most, acute philosopher until science had devised the means of exploring the depths of ocean ; and best of all the story is fold in language dive-.ted as far as’possible of that technical phraseology that stands like a sentinel Guarding the very portals of the tem pie of kr owledge. Pi ofessor Williamson defencls the practice of scientific nomenclature based ur on Gieek and Latin terms by pointing to equally genera ly unintelligible names in' a lady sc. otchet book. Perhaps something may be gained by classic nomenclature in the diffusion of science throughout all nations that make the dead language part of their educational course. We are inclned to think, on the other hand, that much is lost by it. We are accustomed to praise the ancients for their marvellous mental aptitude, but an examination of their works will prove that compared with modi rn savans litile pre'iminaty training was necessary- Tht ir seif ntific tei ms were clrav. n from their native tongue, and every word conveyed a distinct and easily comprehended idea. They were, therefore, enabled at once to grapple with a subject however abstruse, and the time saved in preparing the vehicle was devoted to acquires; ? knowledge ot its contents. Profe-sor Williamson has arrived at conclnsi ns adverse to the evolutionary theory, and confirms the views we expr ssed on the subject when reviewing Mr Fitzg raid’s paper in the ‘New Zealand ne.’. Concluding his most in-tern-sting lecture he says, “I contend that we yet lack all proof that dead, inorganic matter, can be converted into living ma br. save through the agency of exisring life; and it is my firm conviction that 10 such proof will ever be obtained The chemist may so combine atoms as 1o obtain pioducts like dead albumen and similar animal • übstances; but he has hitherto faded t ■ en ow them with 1 fe. They cannot imbibe nouriskment from without, multiply by dividing and subdividing, ever growing as they do so ; in a word they lack vitality ”

While Professor Williamson's lecture deals with the lowest forms of organised matter, that or Ur. Carrentcr ex phi ns much connected with the combination _ of matter with mind. An en< nnous quantity of nonsense has been spoken and written on this subject. Tho mystery of bfo is great but even wore that demonsii.ited, so far as its action upon in at ter is concerned, there would still remain to 1 e explained the more subtle a d inscrutab e influence of _ mind in dircctii g its movements. Avoiding the mystical style of treatment of the subject common in Germany, Dr Carpmter avails bhmelf of the foundation of their hy hy adopting, in common wiifcr them, tue teim r ‘as expressive of pe'Sdnalitv, He then in a clear and simple manner tjraces tbe influences of this

1 Ego upon the body with which it is connected, and shows how it can induce reflex action in the shape of habits of thought and exertion. In the course of his demonst. atious, most valuable hints are d opped, which, reme" bered and followed, mu't result in i ermanent self and general improvement. Take one as a s 'in je: “ Ihe act of fixin > the attention, in my belief, lies nt the foundation of all educatn n, ami is one to be fostered and encouraged in eveiy ch Id. It is better to begin with only a few minutes at a time: gradual y. by encouragement, the child comes to feel that it has a power of its own to prolong its attention ; and at last the encouragement is no longer _ needed, for the child that has judiciously trained will exert all its determination to Lain its lesson, in spite of temptations to go out and play or to amuse itself in any other mode.” Concluding his most able exposition of the relation between mind and body, he wound up by an appeal to his audience worthy of being even kept before the mind as an incentive to the right performance of duty. “I ask you” he said, “totake as your guiding star as it were, in the conduct of your lives, these four words—“ I am.” “ I ought,” “l ean,” “I wjII.” Our Scotch readers may in them find a clue to the correct use of the_ term “will” so frequently misused by them in speaking and writing; but a far higher purpose will be served if this motto is adopted as a rule of life, for it implies the power of fulfilling human duty and points to man’s responsibility for the use of the powers with which he is gifted. ‘ The Practical Ordinances of the Province of Otago’; edited by G. B. Barton. Eeith and Wilkie, Princes street, Dunedin. is one thing; law administrat’ons is another, while obedience to laws is pi rliapu the most rare and difHc.lt attain ent of the three. This may be main!y accounted lor by the multitude < f 1 a«s and Ordinances amending interweaving with, and dovetailing into others, nt to speak of those that lie on the very verge of c >ntr.dieting their provis ons. Whoever visits our Courts of Law and wat< hj s the progress of a case, must be struck with _ the difficulty every Englishman, and especial y a New Zealand Briton his in comi reheiidii'g the nice verb d and often territorial distinctions upon which decisions are based. Learned counsel cite paal'el cases, urge subtle ana'ogies, and prove incontestably that whatever the framers of an Act or Ordinance intended, they seldom succeed in making their mea.ii g plain. Any work, therefore, that tends to throw li.ht on so abstruse a subject, or shortens the process by which a knowledge of the laws in force may be obtained, is a most valuable aid both to the profession and the public. Th s has been the aim of Mr Barton in compiling “ The Practical Ordinances of the Province of O ago, ’ and an examination of his work proves the pains and ca: e with which it has been executed. The introductory note is an unintentional but 3niet sarcasm upon Provincial efficiency in etail and I gi-lation. Mr Barton finds it necessary, in self-justification, to state that the text of the original edition has, of course, been scrupulously adhered to ; but some difficulty has been occasioned by the frequent occurrence of typographical errors, which have been left vncorrected in the proofsheets of that edition.” The arrangement of his work appears to be calculated to afford great assistance to professional men. As a preliminary step to comprehending the relationship of General and Imp ri .1 Legislation to that of the Provinces Mr Barton has tabulated and explained the bearing of various Acts, authorising them to deal with specific subjects. A glance at these will go far to c nvince those who stickle for Legislatures, of the folly of employing a double set of lawmakers, the time of one set being taken up with giving authority to the others to act, or with validating, revising, correcting, or refusing to sumton its doings. Piefixed to the “ Practical Ordinances” is a schedule of those still in force, as well as of those adopted during the ephemeral existence of Southland as a separate Province. It would be a labor equal to what Mr Barton has undergone to m : nutely analyse each separate cLss of Ordinances He has shown the usefulness of codification of Lw, and to some extent the way in which it may be effected. Possibly so de-irable an object as a codification of the laws of New Zealand may be accomplished by some competent lawyer, who is in love with his profession ; but a glance at what Mr Barton has done will be sufficient to_ prove the difficulty that nine or t-n Provincial Legislatures have placed in the way. We believe we may with confidence commend his work as likely to be of treat use in the Courts of law throughout the Province.