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GEOLOGY HOLDING ITS GROUND.
Geological Survey and School of Mines, Jermyn Street, 14th July 1856. Slit—As it has been a subject of regret to me that the objects of the Geo- logical Survey and its school of physical science in Jennyn Street are so imperfectly understood by the public, I have to thank you for those portions of your comments in the Spectator of Saturday last derived from my annual report, Wherein you point out some of the chief uses of the establishment under my direction.
As an old reader, however, of your able journal, I beg to be allowed to correct a mistake you have fallen into respecting a letter which I ad-
dressed to the Minister underwhom I serve, and which has been printed by order of the House of Commons. In that letter I made no allusion to a re- moval of this establishment to Kensington Gore, as your notice would lead the reader to believe. The letter was written six months ago, when it was in agitation to transfer the "Department of Science and Art," of which we form a part, from the jurisdiction of the Board of Trade to that of the Coun- cil charged with the general Education of the country. It was the hope of my associates and myself that the explanation we then offered of the work- ing of this institution might induce her Majesty's Government to allow us to remain attached to theBoard of Trade; inasmuch as we felt sure of being best encouraged by that body in our efforts to develop the physical struc- ture and mineral wealth of Britain. There was noproposition for a change of abode. It was simply the question of the transference of our official re- lations on which I appealed.
I remain, Sir, your very obedient servant, RODERICK I. MuRCHISON.
[Our esteemed correspondent is only claiming his right, when he calls upon us to testify that his official letter was no protest against the removal to Ken- sington Gore ; a project which was not brought into question. When the papers respecting the Geological Survey came into our bands, of which Sir Rodericles letter was one, we had in mind the character of certain general schemes pertaining to "Science and Art." It is one of the incon- veniences attending the Kensington Gore project, that we have no complete and connected account of its whole ' and ultimate scope. The National Gallery is to go there, if Parliament will permit, although a building was constructed for it far larger than the Geological institution in Jermyn Street. We are glad to hear that the Geological Survey is not to be among the mi- gratory institutions , and certainly we conveyed a meaning as erroneous as it was unintentional if we were understood to represent Sir Roderick as making a protest against the local transfer. But while we saw the specific purpose of his excellent letter, we hailed it for its practical effect at the present stage, as a protest against a certain fancy hothouse cultivation of departments alien to practical utility.—En.]
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