SOCIETY OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 692, 1 December 1852, Page 4

SOCIETY OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE.

[Ptoin Uie New Mun&tvt '' Government Gazette," Ou 10] Civil Secretary's Office, Wellington, Oth October, 1052. His Excellency the Governor-in-Cliief has lieon pleased to direct the publication of the following letter from the Secretary to the Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, for general information. By His Excellency's command, Alfred Domett, Civil Secretary.

Copy of a Letter from the Secretary to the Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies. Society of Arts, John Street Adelphi, London, March 26, 1852. Sir, — I am directed by the Council of the Society of Arts to acquaint you, that they have appointed a Committee of the following members of the Society, viz. : — The Earl Grey Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P. Dr. J. F. Royle, F.R.S. Professor Solly, F.R.S. John Bell, Esq. C. Wentwovth Dilke, Esq. Joseph Glynn, Esq., F.R.S. Wyndham Harding, Esq. Nathaniel Lindley, Esq. Alfred Reade, Esq. Lieutenant Tyler, Royal Engineers to consider the best means of making the Society useful in advancing the knowledge of the resources and capabilities of the numerous British colonies in all quarters of the world, and in furnishing the colonies themselves with such information as may be required on subjects connected with Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. The accompanying- enclosures, Nos. 1 and 2, will explain the Constitution of the Society, the objects they have in view in adopting the present measure, and the means which they possess of carrying them into effect. The Council conceive that one of the first steps towards the attainment of their Objects, will be the establishment of a Correspondence with similar institutions in the colonies ; or, in the smaller colonies where no such institutions exist, with a Committee consisting of three or more Members, in all cases where volunteers for such a purpose can be found. I am therefore, to express the hope to the Council, that you will be pleased to accord to the Society the advantages of that co-operation fynd assistance which the Colonial Office is so well able to afford, to enable them to place themselves thus in correspondence with the numerous colonies. And, as the readiest means of doing so, I am directed to transmit to you Printed Copies of the present Letter and its Enclosures, which the Council trust you will have the goodness to forward to the Governors of colonies, with such instructions for their judicious distribution as may appear best calculated to ensure their practical utility. 1 have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Geougk Grovk, Secretary.

Enclosure No. 1. Brief statements of the Objects, Government, Revenue and mode of Action of the Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce : Objects : — The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce was founded in 1754 and incorporated under the above name ]>y Royal Charter in 1847, they ai'e summed up in the Charter as — " Generalty to assist in the advancement, development, and practical application of Science in connection with the Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce of the Country." Mode of Action : — The Council appoint annually Standing Committees to report upon the various Departments of the Arts, and Manufactures, and has lately adopted for this purpose the Classification of the late Exhibition, the Committees being thirty in number, to correspond with the thirty Classes. These various Committees examine and report on the merits of all useful inventions and discoveries, which are publicly exhibited at certain periods by the Society. And upon the reports of Committees the Council award Medals and other rewards for inventions, treatises, or other objects calculated to advance the interests of the Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. The Society by these means has been the first and principal medium for introducing to public notice the principal discoveries in Arts and Manufactures which have been brought to light during the present century in this country. The Council further appoint from time to time Committees for various Special purposes ; — among others may be named that for Elementary Drawing Schools, and those for Foreign, Colonial, •and Provincial Correspondence.

Enclosure JS t o. 2. The principal objects which the Council have in view in establishing- the Colonial Committee may be generally enumerated under the following heads. 1. To make known to the Mercantile and general Public of this Country the principal products of each of the Colonies, and the facilities for obtaining them. 2. To point out to the Colonists any of those products which may be advantageously imported into England. 3. To afford such information as any Colony may require in regard to Implements, Machinery, Chemical or other processess necessary to the prosecution of its special branches of Industry. 4. To exhibit and make known to the 'British public, Inventions which Colonists have otherwise great difficulty in introducing into notice, that being one of the principal brandies of the Society's operations. 5. To collect for the Thirty Standing Committees, information relative to the various departments of Trade in the Colonies. 6. To make a comparison of Coins, Weights and Measures, as used in the Colonies, and to receive and discuss propositions for giving them uniformity. 7. To investigate and report upon the operations of the Patent Laws in the Colonies. ; It is hoped that the periodical transmission of the printed Proceedings of the Society of Arts may often 1 convey valuable information to distant Colonies, and the Society hope to enrich their own Annual Volume by communications from j kindred associations, and from Individuals in the j Colonies. The Council feel confident that these measures cannot fail to be of use both to the Mother Coun* try and to the colonies, and that should they be unsuccessful in some of the objects above enumerated, benefit will ensue from the remainder. It may be desirable here to state the reasons which induced the Council to originate the present scheme. It was as President to the Society of Arts, that His Royal Highness Prince Albert first announced to the World the project of the Exhibition of 1851. The Society had a considerable share in the earl} r progress of the Exhibition, and counts amongst its members a large proportion of those who took an active part in that great Work, The Society also contains many members eminent in the several branches of science, and influential in the Country, and consequently the Society possesses the means of making extensively known amongst the Manufacturers and Public

, of Great Britain, any new or important products which, may he made available in the Arts, Commerce, or' Manufactures of the Country. Asa recent instance of this nature, it may be mentioned, that Gutta Fercha and its valuable properties were made known through the exertions of the Society. The Correspondence thai has taken place with the Colonies, on account of the Exhibition, has brought to notice that those by whom it has I been conducted are capable of affording a vast [ amount of information, which only requires to be i collected and printed, to make it of great use to this country. And the anxiety which has been evinced for such information as, it is hoped, may ho advantageously furnished by Members of the Society, has directed attention to the fact that they liave now no direct means of obtaining such information. The -Society feels confident, that those who took an active part in the promotion of the Exhibition, will be first to come forward and render assistance to any scheme such as the present by which efforts are made to perpetuate its results. It may be interesting also here to refer to a few of the advantages which have been actually derived from the display of Colonial Produce at the Great Exhibition. Isinglass had hitherto been regarded as obtainable principally from the fish of the Russian rivers. But it has been ascertained that the rivers of Canada abound with fish producing Isinglass of the first quality, and that a new industrial occupation is thus open to the Canadians, whilst a supply of Isinglass can be furnished to this country at a much more reasonable price than hitherto. ! Another remarkable instance is the discovery that Corundum, which has served many of the purposes of diamond and emery powder in India for a long period, might also be brought intp use in this country ; a mineral with Avhich it is believed but a very small portion of the British public had hitherto been acquainted, and which it is suspected has in some instances been sold to our large firms under the name of Diamond powder. Amongst the substances from the Colonies which have been brought into notice, may be also mentioned walrus sidn, porpoise leather from the St. Lawrence, the resins and fatty substances and vegetable waxes from Australia, all of which appear likely to excite attention in the commercial world. Notwithstanding that these and other substances have been brought into notice, Colonial Produce was on the whole but indifferently represented in the Exhibition, and the Council confidently hope that the means they have now adopted may lead to the formation, at some future period, of a permanent Exhibition of Colonial Produce, either separately, or what would perhaps be preferable, as part of The Collection arising out of the Great Exhibition, from the exertions of The Royal Commissioners. (Signed) George Grove, Secretary Society of Arts. Government ;~-It is governed by a President, Vice-Presidents, two Treasurers, Two Auditors, and from twelve to twenty-four other Members, who form a Council elected annually by ballot at a General Meeting of the Society. The Secretary and Collector are elected in a similar manner and are the only officers who receive any salary. The following are the Officers for the present year.

president, his royal highness prince albert Vice Presidents. The Duke of Buccleuch ; The Ecirl of Carlisle ; The E.arl of Ellismere ; The Earl Granville : The Lord Colhorne : The Lord Overstone : Sir J. P. i Boileau, Bart,- Rt. Hon. E. Strutt, M. P.; Rt. Hon. T. Milnev Gibson, M.P. ; H. T. Hope, M. P. ; George Moffiitt, M.P. ; S. M. Peto, M.P. Robert Stephenson, M.P. ; Beriah Botfield ; Sir C. Barry, R.A. ; I. K. Brunei, F.R.S. ; Thomas Creswick, R.A. ; W.F. Cooke ; Charles Dickens ; C. Wentworth Dilke; M. Faraday, F.R.S. ; Owen Jones ; J. M. Rendel, Pres. Inst. C. Eners. : W. Tooke, P.R.S.

Council. John Bell ; Thomas Cubitt ; Joseph Glynn, F.R.S. ; Wyndham Harding. C.E. ; Professor T. H. | Henry, F.R.S. j Captain Henry C. Owen, R.E. ; Dr. Lyon Playfair, C. B. ; J. Scott Russell, F.R.S. ; W. W. Saundeis ; Sydney Smirke, R.A. ; Professor Edward Solly, F.R.S. ; Thomas Twining, jun.

Treasurers. P. Le Neve Foster, M.A ; Henry Cole, C.B.

Auditors. Thomas Wink worth ; Samuel Redgrave, Secretary. — George Grove. Revenue : — The Society consists at present of 1200 Members, and its revenue is about £2000 a year, — mainly derived from their izidividual contributions.