1899.] Centenary Commemoration, 1799-1899. 199 



carried on. Of course, this Society has gone through many vicissitudes, 

 but fortunately many people assisted it in a pecuniary way, and only 

 as recently as three years ago we were indebted to tho liberality of 

 Dr. Mond for the Davy Faraday Laboratory, at the opening of which, 

 I myself had the pleasure of being present. When one looks back 

 to the eminent men who have worked and lectured at the Institution, 

 one thinks first of the name of Thomas Young, and of the great 

 Humphry Davy — a man of whom all Englishmen are proud, and one 

 of whose most remarkable scientific discoveries, perhaps, was that 

 wonderful lamp which has saved the lives of thousands of miners. 

 Then there is another name to which in this connection I must 

 again refer, that of Professor Michael Faraday, whom I knew, and 

 whom I shall ever associate in my mind with the Eoyal Institution ; 

 I should also mention his distinguished successor, Professor Tyndall. 

 There is another name, which at the present day everyone looks up to 

 as one very remarkable in every branch of science — that of Lord 

 Eayleigh. The President of the Eoyal Institution, and many of us, 

 I hope, will have the pleasure of listening to a lecture which he is to 

 deliver to-morrow. As the Duke has kindly said, and I think very 

 properly said, we are a large gathering. Still, on this occasion, 

 speeches should be short — I will therefore not detain you longer. I 

 thank you once more for having kindly listened to the words which I 

 have said ; and I assure the Duke and the members of this distin- 

 guished Society how highly I appreciate the opportunity which has been 

 given me to take part in this Centenary banquet, and how pleased we 

 are to see present so many distinguished foreign gentlemen connected 

 with Science. To the Duke of Northumberland it must be especially 

 gratifying that he and members of his family now, for upwards of fifty 

 years, with the exception of eight years, when Sir Henry Holland was 

 president, have occupied the chair as presidents of the Eoyal Insti- 

 tution. In the name of the Princess of Wales and other members of 

 my family, I tender you my warmest thanks for the manner in which 

 you have received this toast. 



The Duke of Cambridge proposed " The Eoyal Institution of 

 Great Britain." He said the Prince of Wales had already pointed 

 out the salient points of the Institution, and, therefore, all that he 

 could really do was to back up what the Prince had said. They were 

 commemorating that night the Centenary of an Institution for diffus- 

 ing knowledge, and facilitating the general introduction of useful 

 mechanical inventions and improvements. Whilst during these one 

 hundred years the march of intellect had largely increased in every 

 part of the world, and nowhere more than in this country, there had 

 also been a change in scientific matters to an extent which, having him- 

 self lived eighty years he could not have thought possible. In those 

 one hundred years everything had changed, more or less, in every 

 department of life, but nothing had gone forward more rapidly than 

 science, which was still progressing in a sound and useful direction 

 and which they of that Institution were helping to support and 



