430 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
those members of the government and of the aris- 
tocracy who are fellows, than upon the councils of 
these societies. The latter, being chiefly composed 
of untitled, and therefore uninfluential, men, would 
naturally feel timidity in making representations 
which they had not influence to support; whereas 
the former, being chosen more for their political 
influence than for their scientific attainments, were 
certainly bound, in duty, to use that influence which 
procured them their admission, for the benefit of 
science and of its professors. 
(297.) We pass over the obvious expediency of 
free discussion, and all those ordinary means for in- 
suring the honest and faithful administration of the 
pecuniary affairs of these societies. The chief point 
at which the Royal Society should aim, is that of ren- 
dering it an object of ambition among men of scien- 
tific eminence, to be enrolled among its members. 
All will admit that this is most desirable; the diffi- 
culty lies only in the means by which it. can be 
- accomplished. It appears, from the statement of 
Professor Babbage, that some time ago, “ many of 
the more scientific members felt that some amend- 
ment was absolutely necessary to the respectability 
of the society ;” and a committee, in which we find 
the names of Wollaston and Herschel, was accord- 
ingly formed. “ The council received their report 
at the close of the session; and in recording it on 
the journals, they made an appeal to the council for 
the ensuing year to bestow on it their earliest and 
most serious attention.” It appears, however, that 
for some unassigned reason, this strong recommend- 
ation was never attended to, and the matter was 
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