258 THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



from our govemraent, or our public institutions ; but 

 here the student sees a new light break on him and 

 cheer his efforts, which, but ibr this aid might have 

 sunk into despondency and despair. But with 

 regard to the influence on our government, of whom 

 I am about to speak, as totally unconnected with 

 any party ; for 1 can pay no compliments to either ; 

 it is notorious, not only to our own country, but to 

 the whole world, that very little has been done by 

 the government of England for the promotion of 

 science, by whatever name the ruHng power has 

 been designated. Arago told us last year, (as I re- 

 ported to you) that if our government would patron- 

 ize science in earnest, more might be done by it than 

 by ail the rest of the world, when the extent of our 

 colonies and our naval power was contemplated. 

 But, absorbed in political discussions, foreign and 

 domestic, and embarrassed with pecuniary difficulties, 

 the interests of science have been postponed until a 

 more convenient opportunity. But this will not be 

 always so, and the combination of so many illustri- 

 ous men, many of them members of the legislature, 

 and otherwise influential from their rank in society, 

 and their property, will demand an attention from 

 the Government, which no individual could procure, 

 however talented and endowed. 



The Governments of France and England have 

 already adopted means for ascertaining the rise and 

 fall of the tides in their respective harbours, and of 

 registering and perpetuating the observations made. 

 The trigonometrical Survey of Ireland, which, at one 

 time, on account of its expence, was proceeding with 

 snail-like progress, has been reanimated by the repre- 

 sentations of the British Association, and now bids 

 fair to be early completed. Parts of it were exhibi- 

 ted to the Geological and Geographical section, at 

 the Survey Oflice, in the Phoenix Park, and I heard 

 but one universal meed of praise offered, on the 

 manner in which it had been executed, and was pre- 

 paring for public use and inspection. 



