XXX PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



lordship was Prime Minister, received from him the assurance of 

 his entire concurrence in the object ; and on the particular claims 

 of the Linnean Society being strongly brought before him, he at 

 once acknowledged the justice of those claims, and the anomalous 

 nature of our position. From this time the object of the move- 

 ment assumed a more definite form ; and as it would be impossible 

 to obtain separate accommodation in any one building for all the 

 Societies which profess to cultivate every minor branch of science, 

 the claims were limited to those chartered Societies which might be 

 considered as representing the larger departments of scientific 

 research. "Within this category would be included the Royal, the 

 Linnean, the Geological, the Astronomical, and the Chemical 

 Societies, This definite object was very strongly urged upon the 

 late Sir "William Molesworth, at an interview with which we were 

 favoured by him, and his parting words were, " "Well ! it appears 

 quite clear that those five Societies ought to be accommodated" — 

 and yet, a few days afterwards, in the House of Commons, that 

 gentleman stated, in answer to a question put to him, that it was 

 only those Societies which were located in Somerset House which 

 were to be provided for. And this has, up to nearly the present 

 moment, been the difficulty. Science has not been generally 

 recognized for its own sake, but only as its accommodation could 

 be provided for at the least possible expense or trouble to the 

 Government, and for the sake of obtaining possession of the 

 apartments occupied by the Societies in Somerset House. Here 

 then the Linneans were again ignored ! 



At length it was announced that Burlington House was pur- 

 chased by the Government for the express purpose of affording 

 ample accommodation to science and literature, within the walls of 

 one great building. A deputation then waited upon Lord Palmer- 

 ston, who readily recognized the claims of the five Societies ; and 

 without pledging himself to any final adjustment of the question, 

 expressed with his usual urbanity his general concurrence with 

 the principle urged by the deputation. 



From some cause or other which I have never fully understood, 

 the Royal Society, upon whose agency the rest of the Societies 

 depended, failed to press their advantage, and the University op 

 London not only applied successfully for the accommodation which 

 had been promised to the scientific Societies, but actually took 

 and still holds possession of a portion of the house. But more 

 recently a strong representation was made by Lord Wrottesley to 

 the Government on the part of the five Societies, and a meeting 



