The Abolition Of Capital Punishment.

recognise the right they have to compassion , and to the justice of their fellow-men . " The lodge , therefore , passes the folloAving resolutions , viz .: — " 1 st . To address itself immediately to the

Freemasons of the United States , begging them to use all the possible legal means that the laAvs of the country afford , to promote in the States of the North imposing manifestations of the public opinion , claiming the abolition of the pain of

death , beginning by its suppression in cases of political crimes . " 2 nd . To publish these resolutions in the newspapers of Italy , France , England , and Germany , so that the public opinion of Europe

may approve of that opinion , and render more easy the humane mission which is confided to American Freemasonry . "

The Weather Department Of The Board Of Trade.

THE WEATHER DEPARTMENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE .

In 1854 , Avhen the Board of Trade were about to establish their office for the discussion of meteorological observations , in conformity Avith their commendations of the Brussels Conference , they applied to the President and Council of the Royal Society , for an opinion as to the chief desiderata

in meteorological science and the forms best calculated to exhibit the great atmospheric laws which required development . The "opinion " Avhich the Council drew up in answer contains a discussion of the subject under the heads Barometer , Dry Air and Aqueous Vapour ,

Temperature of the Air , Temperature of the Sea ; and Investigations regarding Currents , Storms or Gales , Thunder Storms , Auroras and Falling Stars ; and Charts of the Magnetic Variation . This scheme has not been so strictly carried out by the Weather Office as Avas

oriinallcontemg y plated , from which , or some other circumstance , and before filling up the vacancy occasioned by the decease of Admiral Fitzroy , the President of the Board of Trade , has again referred the matter to the President and Council of the Royal Society , whoas Ave are informedhave appointed a

Com-, , mittee to prepare a report in ansAver on the Avhole question . We shall have something to say on the conclusions of the report Avhen it comes to be published , giving here , in the meanwhile , a feAV particulars from the " Memoranda" which the Council have already sent in to the Board of Trade .

The time appearing to be favourable for a reconsideration of the duties of the office , they suggest thatpublication of daily forecasts may , perhaps , be unnecessary , and that e-vidence should be taken as to the ad \ r antages , present and prospective , ot continuing the practice of storm-warnings . Next

to this comes the procuring of suitable data for Avhat have been termed " ocean statistics , " i . e ., statistics of the wind , the weather , and the currents in different parts of the ocean and at different seasons of the year , and the formation from these data of charts and other practical instructions for

the use of navigators generally . Some progress Avas made in this branch of the work , and it would be desirable to ascertain not only the extent of progress , but Avhether any documents remain to be examined . Seeing that at the Conference above mentioned , the leading Governments of Europe and America undertook to co-operate in the great scheme of meteorological observations , it seems the more essential that Great Britain should contribute

her part , and largely . With ships on every sea . she has the means of gathering facts from all parts of the globe . Here the question arises—Do merchant vessels generally continue to send their logs to the office ? If not , there will be aAvkward gaps in the system . We assume for granted that the

ships of the Royal Navy take regular observations of the best and most comprehensive quality , and . deposit them , Avith their logs , at the Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty ; and this leads to the suggestion that the ocean statistics collected by the mercantile navy should also be sent to the

Hdroy graphic Office , Avhere they might be turned to good account . We understand that the Admiralty would be willing to receive any of the observations Avhich could be used in the construction of the

wind , current , storm , and magnetic variation charts , now regarded as indispensable to good navigation . Should this arrangement be carried out , we presume that the Hydrographic Office would undertake to supply instruments as well as instructions to the commanders of merchant vessels , if

properly qualified . Constant correction of the magnetic variation charts is required for the benefit of navigation generally , and Avill , no doubt , receive due attention But considering hoAV largely the use of iron has increased of late years in shipbuilding , it is of more

direct and immediate importance to the interests of the mercantile marine , that attention should be paid to the effect of iron on ships' compasses . The Royal Navy is properly looked after in this particular ; not so the merchant navy , as is testified by the recent loss of iron steamersin which

, the disaster could be referred to compass-error only . In most of these instances , however , from the Avant of any record of the magnetic state of the ship , of the amount of original deviation , and of the mode of correction , and from the investigations into the causes of the loss being conducted

by persons not instructed in the science , and who . are necessarily incompetent either to elicit the facts from which a judgment may be formed , or to form a judgment on the facts which are elicited , no certain conclusion as to the occasion of loss can be arrived at . Since the first introduction of iron ships , it has