292 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



permanence of the Association depends. Should it ever be 

 lost sight of, should the resources of the institution come to 

 be expended chiefly on subordinate objects, and its recom- 

 mendations directed to little points, instead of the great 

 questions which interest men of comprehensive views in the 

 different departments of science, the consequence will be that 

 the meetings will be left entirely to men of second-rate ac- 

 quirements, and that they will speedily fall into contempt. 



We have reason to hope that the next volume of the Trans- 

 actions of the Association, which we are informed will soon 

 appear, may bear evidence of a continued attention to this 

 principle ; in the mean time the answer contained in Mr. 

 Hamilton's address to the objection of a writer in the Edin- 

 burgh Review against the exercise of the influence of the 

 Association in obtaining from the Government a grant of 

 money for the reduction of observations on the sun, moon, 

 and planets, made at Greenwich by Bradley and his succes- 

 sors, sufficiently shows how judiciously it has commenced its 

 operations. The astronomer royal of Ireland informs us that 

 the particular undertaking thus objected to has afforded the 

 most unmixed gratification to those cultivators of science 

 who are interested in the progress of the highest department 

 of astronomy, and he quotes the opinion of Bessel to the 

 following effect : " To me, considering all these things toge- 

 ther, it appears to be of the highest moment towards our fu- 

 ture progress in the knowledge of the solar system, to reduce 

 into catalogues, as conveniently as can be done, according to 

 one common system of elements, the places of all the planets 

 observed since 1750; than which labour I believe that no 

 other now will be of greater use to astronomy/' 



We must refer to the Reports of the Association for 

 further proofs, in discussions of tables of the tides and other 

 important investigations, that there is no want of enlarged 

 views in its Recommendations and in the expenditure of its 

 now considerable funds. As long as this continues to be the 

 case we have no doubt that, meet where it will, its meetings 

 will attract a large proportion of those who are sincerely 

 devoted to science for its own sake, and who have a just un- 

 derstanding of the spirit in which it is to be pursued and 

 the methods by which it is to be advanced. 



Nor does there seem to be any reason to fear that the want 

 of a locality for such assemblages will be found to place an 

 impediment in their way. At the late meeting there were 

 deputies present from five of the chief commercial towns in 

 England to invite the Association and to offer suitable ac- 

 commodation in their respective towns. Bristol stood first 



