396 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
tute*, appointed and paid by the government, became, 
in return, its scientific advisers. There is no esta- 
blishment of this nature in Britain ; but if the Royal 
Society was placed upon a better footing, many of 
the advantages derived by the French government 
from its Institute might reasonably be expected from 
the oldest, if not the best as they are at present con- 
structed, of our scientific societies. It cannot be 
expected that the government, even if otherwise dis- 
posed, will pay much deference to the opinion of any 
scientific body, composed (for the most part) of 
gentlemen possessing no other qualifications than 
general respectability, with the power of paying fifty 
pounds for admittance. Neither can it be expected 
that institutions so constituted, should employ their 
influence with the government, in “ staying its de- 
stroying arm, in calling into action its powers of 
doing good, or in demanding its bounty for such dis- 
tinguished men, who were especially placed under 
their patronage.” Unless, therefore, government 
shall grant salaries to a certain number of its most 
distinguished men of science, as is done in every 
other country, no effectual improvement can take 
place. The “ voluntary system,” suits the state as 
little as the church. In return for this bounty, 
the society would be, as it were, the scientific ad- 
visers of the crown, they would superintend public 
experiments, report upon all scientific measures 
submitted to government, and, in short, perform 
* Sixty-three of the ordinary members of this noble institu- 
tion receive each an annual pension from government of 1500 
franes, and the two secretaries 600 franes each. 
tak 
