THE TEADANCY OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1138, 23 August 1883, Page 3

THE TEADANCY OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY.

Sir Henry Barkiy Q.C.M.G-,, P.R.S., took the chair at the annual meeting of the Victoria (Philosophical) Institute, at 7, Adel phi Terrace, London, in the last week in June. The Honorary Secretary, Captain F Petrie, F. R.S.L., read the report, by which it appeared that the Institute—founded to investigate all questions of Philosophy and Science, and more especially any alleged to militate against the truth of Revelation—had now risen to 1020 members, of whom about one-third were Foreign, Colonial, and American, and new applications to join were constantly coming in. An increasing number of leading men of Science had joined its ranks, and men of whether in its ranks or not, co-operated in its work. During the session a careful analysis had been undertaken by Professor Stokes, F. 8.5., Sir J R Bennett, Vice-Pres. R.S., Professor Beale, F.R.S., and others, of the various theories of Evolution, and it was reported that, as yet, no scientific evidence had been met with giving countenance to the theory that man had been evolved from a lower order in animals; and Professor Virchow had declared that there was a complete absence of any fossil type of a lower stage in the development of man ; and that any positive advance in the province of prehistoric anthropology has actually removed us further from proofs of such connection—namely, with the rest of the Animal kingdom. In this, Professor Harraode, the great palaeontologist, had concurred, declaring that in none of bis investigations had he found any one fossil species develop iuto another. In fact, it wonld seem that no scientific man had yet discovered a link between man and the ape, between fish and frog, or between the vertebrate and the invertebrate animals; further, there was no evidence of any one species, fossil or other, losing its peculiar characteristics to acquire new ones belonging to other species ; for instance, however similar the dog to the wolf, there was no connecting link, and among extinct species the same was the case; there was no gradual passage from one to another. Moreover, the first animals that existed on the earth were by no means to be considered as inferior or degraded. Among other investigations, one into the truth of the argument from Design in Nature had been carried on, and had hitherto tended to fully confirm that doctrine. The question of the Assyrian inscriptions and the recent Babylonian researches had been under the leadership of Mr Hormuzd Rassam, who, on his arrival from Nineveh, had given a full report of the extant of his new excavations, which were of the highest interest. His discovery of Sepharvaim, one of the first cities mentioned in Holy Writ, was most important. Professor Delitsch and others aided in the consideration of the discoveries and the inscriptions found. Two meetings had been held to consider the questions

raised in Mr Herbert Spencer’s Philosophy, and Lord O’Neill and others had shown, by a careful analysis of his arguments, that a greater attention to accuracy in statement would have kept Mr Spencer from arriving at those hasty conclusions which had mad# his philosophy remarkable, It was announced that the results of explorations now being carried On In Egypt would be laid before the Institute early in the winter. The discoveries were very important, especially that of the site of Succoth, which, like the results of the survey of Palestine, was confirmatory of the Sacred Record. The quarterly Journal, which had been published for 16 years, was now issued free to all Members and Associates, whether at home or abroad. Several interesting speeches having been made, the Members and their friends adjourned to the Museum, where refreshments were served