The Tendency of Scientific Inquiry.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4564, 21 August 1883, Page 2

The Tendency of Scientific Inquiry.

Sir Henry Barkley, G.C.M.G., F.E.S,, took the chair at the annual meeting of the Victorian Philosophical Institution, at 7, Adelphi Terrace, London, in the last week in June. The Honorary Secretary, Captain F. Petrie, F.E.S.L., read the report, by which it appeared,tbat thelnsti* tute—founded to investigate all questions of Philosophy and Science, and more especially any alleged to militate against the truth of Eevelation—had now risen to 1,020 members, of whom about one-third was 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 Science, whether in its ranks or not, co operated in its work. During the session a careful analysis had been undertaken by Professor Stokes, F.E.S., Sir J. E. Bennett, VicePres. E.S. Professor Beale, F.E.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 presence of prehistoric anthropology has actually removed us further from proofs of such connection—namely, with the rest of the Animal kingdom. In this, Professor Barrande, the great palaeontologist, had concurred, declaring that in none of his investigations had he found any one fossil species develops into another. In fact, it would 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 cbarae» teristic3 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 b» 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 doe. trine. The question of the Assyrian inj scriptions and the recent Babylonian } researches had been under the leadership of Mr Hormuzd Eassam, who, on his arrival from Nineveh, had given a fulL report of the exteutof his new excavations, which were of the highest interest. His, discovery of Sepharvaim, one of the first cities mentioned in Holy Writ, was moat important. Professor Delitsch and others aided in the consideration^ the discoveries and the inscriptions- found. Tiro meetings had been held to consider the questions raised in Mr Herbert Spencer's Philosophy, and Lord CVNeil and others had shown, by a careful analysis of his. arguments, that a- greater attention toi accuracy in statement would have kept Mr Spencer from arriving at those, hastyconclusions which had made 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 Eecord. The quarterly Journal, which had been published for sixteen years,' was now issued free to all Members tnd Associates, whether at home or abroad. Several interesting speeches having been made, the Members and their frieada adjourned to the Museum where refreshments were served, ■.■;■'