BABBAGE'S EXPOSITION OF 1851.* •

Tints is an able book, very often written in a soured temper, and once or twice coming a day after the fair. The main object seems to have been to trace the history of the Great Exhibition, and to discuss the economical questions springing out of it; but other topics than the Exposition of 18M or things connected with it are also dwelt upon. Germane to the subject is a sketch of the origin of the British Association and similar bodies ; a critical but depre- ciatory account of the rise, progress, principles, and management or managers of the Great Exhibition ; with a few economical ohaT- • ters on the exclusion of prices, "the interchange of commodi- ties," and the ulterior objects to be looked to from the great

• The Exposition of ISM; or 'Views of the Industry, the Science, and the Govern- ment of England. By Charles Babbage, Esq., Corresponding Member of theActule. my of Moral Sciences of the Institute of France. Published by Murray.

show. Besides these matters, the author wanders into some other topics, which if not personal in themselves are made so by their mode of treatment. " Intrigues of Science" contains a gene- ral view of the manner in which real science is overwhelmed in England by pretenders, and the men of fashion and of the world whom they enlist on their side ; together with a long story, not very intelligible in respect to purpose, about the Reverend Mr. Sheepshanks, Sir James South, Mr. 13abbage, and others, highly condemnatory of the reverend gentleman. " Calculating Engines" is a curious account of the manufacturing principles connected with the construction of the author's machines, as well as of his losses and his treatment by our Government. The three chapters on the " Position of Science," " Party," and the " Rewards of Merit," are to some degree a repetition of well-known views of Mr. Bab- bage on the subject of granting honours to men of science, and creating new posts to reward them more substantially, or making a better application of the actual means at the disposal of Govern- ment, instead of abusing those means to reward party adherents. The book is written with clearness and closeness, much know- ledge of many of the subjects treated of, and with a good deal of thought bestowed upon all, though a just conclusion is not always reached, either from some deficiency in perceptive logic or the preju- dices arising from a foregone conclusion. The fault of the work is less literary than of temperament. A dissatisfaction arising from disappointment is too obvious throughout. The fundamental po- sitions may be just, but the discussion is carried on with an attacking temper, and questions appear to be mooted less for their general importance than for their connexion with grievances of the author. At the same time, existing defects are clearly perceived and sharply exposed. These remarks on a royal chairman may not be altogether gracious just now, but we dare say they are true enough.

" That the Prince, who took so strong an interest in it, [the Exposition,] and who saw so clearly and so far beyond the horizon which limited the view of those by whom he was surrounded, should become its chief, was quite natural. There are, however, circumstances in the state of society in this country, and in the constitution of human nature itself, which render it al- most impossible to have unfettered discussion when a person of that exalted rank takes the chair at the meetings of a committee.

"These objections are entirely unconnected with the individual person : and if any amount of good feeling and skill in such a chairman could remove the difficulty, we have fortunately had amongst us several princes who might easily have accomplished it : but the forms of society forbid in the presence of princes that full and free discussion by which alone the united knowledge of a committee can be brought into play. Debates must take place and divi- sions occur; otherwise some individual may take upon himself to assume what either is or appears to him to be the sense of the meeting : this is much more frequently simply the expression of his own views. Thus, per- haps, he prevents the statement of his opinion by some timid man, which is possibly. worth more than that of all the rest of the committee. " Again: in committees presided over by persons of this elevated rank, it is not an uncommon occurrence for some member, anxious for the success of his own views, privately to hint in conversation with other members, that these are the wishes of their president.

" To these objections, -which are generally true, there is, however, one exception. When the chairman is eminently conversant with the subject, while at the same time the minds of the committee are like a sheet of blank paper, the best course that can then be pursued is to allow the chairman to interpret the sense of the committee."

When Mr. Babbage leaves behind what may be called his hob- bies, and gives himself fair play in some general satire, he is pun- gent and almost sparkling. There is truth and effect-in this de- scription of the difficulties Prince Albert and the Exhibition had to encounter from interested sluggishness and fashionable appre- hensions.

" The Ministers could not of course commit themselves by publicly avow- ing their disapprobation of an undertaking commenced under such high auspices. It might, however, readily have been foreseen, that they would be averse to such a scheme, because whilst it was sure to give them a great deal of trouble, it would afford them no compensation in the shape of patron- age.

"Those, however, who usually reflect and retail the opinions of the Go- vernment, were by no means silent : at first it was said to be Utopian, then ridiculous, then, in the slang of official life, it was poohpoohed ' ; at a later period, when great public meetings had been held, and when public dinners began to give it an English character, the best speech which has yet been made on the subject, containing the far-sighted views of a statesman, was ridiculed as full of German notions, by coxcombs whose intellect was as defective as their foresight, and whose selfishness was more remarkable than either.

" Another class of persons, the Belgravians, though actuated by the some motives, were induced to join in the outcry for other reasons. As soon as it became known that the locality of the building would be the Southern side of Hyde Park, they represented that the Park would be destroyed and be- come utterly useless. As if a building covering twenty acres out of above three hundred and twenty could prevent the people from enjoying air and exercise on the remaining three hundred. " Again, it was asserted, that by cutting down a few trees within the limits assigned to the building, the Park would be desolated, the shady walks destroyed ; whilst all the while there was a goodly stock of timber, old and young, abounding in the other three hundred acres. Before this absurd de- lusion could be removed from the public mind, all the plans were made spe- cially to conform themselves to the enclosure of these miserable trees. It was not discovered until after the Crystal Palace was completed, that several of them were on the verge of extinction, and that all would probably perish by exposure under such unusual conditions. Some of the most decrepit and most inconveniently situated trees have now been cut down.

"'The Belgravians found out other causes of complaint. They could not tolertite the mass of plebeian.% of all nations who would traverse their sacred Nuare, and they threatened to spoil the London season by going out of town. When it was suggested to them, that in these days of agricultural distress, if they left town they might console themselves by letting their houses at a high price they refused to be consoled. "The Belgravians next consulted their medieinemen '; who, seeing that they wanted to be frightened, suggested to them that some foreigners were dirty—that dirt in some cases causes disease. The Belgravian mind imme- diately made the inference that the foreigners would bring with them the

plague ; then they dwelt on sanitary measures, and on the danger to the pub- lic, until they themselves became nearly insane.

" It was then suggested that the foreigners might become assassins by night, or take military possession of London by day. Their tradesmen, too, who hated the scheme, and knew the humour of their customers, assured them that trade would be entirely ruined; whilst at the same time, it was whispered that many of them had sent large orders to France for goods to be exhibited at the Crystal Palace, and afterwards to be sold to their capricious customers, either as French, or as English surpassing French, just as the whim of the moment might cause a demand for the one or the other."

Upon his own immediate ground when among machinery, Mr. Babbage is stronger still. This sketch of a desirable machine-power is from the chapter on Prizes; in which the Committee are cen- sured for withdrawing their offers, and various hints are thrown out as to what subjects it might be desirable to offer prizes for.

" One of the inventions most important to a class of highly skilled work- men (engineers) would be a small motive power, ranging perhaps from the force of half a man to that of two horses, which might commence as well as cease its action at a moment's notice, require no expense of time for its ma- nagement, and be of moderate price both in original cost and in daily ex- pense. A small steam-engine does not fulfil these conditions. In a town where water is supplied at high pressure, a cylinder and a portion of appa- ratus similar to that of a high-pressure engine would fully answer the con- ditions, if the water could be supplied at a moderate price. Such a source of power would in many cases be invaluable to men just rising from the class of journeyman to that of master. It might also be of great use to many small masters in various trades. If the cost per day were even somewhat greater than that of steam for an equal extent of power, it would yet be on the whole much cheaper, because it would never consume power without doing work. It might be applied to small planing and drilling machines, to lathes, to grindstones, grinding-mills, mangling, and to a great variety of other pur- poses. " In all large workshops, a separate tool, or rather machine, is used for each process, and this contributes to the economy of the produce. But many masters in a small way are unable to afford such an expense, not having suffi- cient work for the full employment of any one machine.

" Of this class are many jobbing masters who live by repairing machines. Such also are that class of masters who make models of the inventions of others and carry out for them their mechanical speculations. To these two classes that of amateur engineers may be added."