150 Presidential Address. [Sess. 



sions, and to attract friends to our Society, to whom, as I may 

 have said before, we may with all confidence say — as Moses 

 did of old to Hobab — " Come thou with us, and we will do 

 thee good." 



As you are aware, ours is looked upon as one of the lead- 

 ing scientific societies in this city. We are represented on 

 the committee which has been formed — and which is carefully 

 watching all that is being said or done — to see what may be 

 best for these societies in regard to the Eoyal Institution 

 buildings at the foot of the Mound; societies which include 

 the Eoyal Physical, the most ancient, the Eoyal, the most 

 eminent, and the Eoyal Geographical, probably the most 

 numerous. In this connection I would remind you that the 

 Secretary of State for Scotland, in his place in the House of 

 Commons on 9th August last, said he " was met in the winter 

 by a most influential deputation of prominent scientific men 

 in Scotland, who urged very strenuously, and with great force, 

 that not only should the Eoyal Institution be allowed to 

 remain where it was, but that the building which it occupied 

 should be made the home of the learned societies. It was 

 pointed out that it would be an enormous advantage if they 

 had a central hall for lectures and discussions, and could 

 house the other bodies so as to have the combined libraries 

 of the various learned societies on one spot. That, again, 

 secured a most admirable object." As you"are aware, we had 

 this matter, and our relation to it, fully and calmly con- 

 sidered at a largely attended meeting of our Society, on 27 th 

 January last, when we, very wisely as I think, resolved to 

 take a sympathetic interest in the movement, at the same 

 time keeping the door open for fuller discussion as the matter 

 ripens, not committing this Society, as yet, to any definite 

 promise or position in regard to the question. Mr Eussell 

 and I are your representatives on the committee. We have 

 attended several meetings, but we always bear in mind that 

 we have from you only what lawyers call " a watching brief " 

 — i.e., we are to hear all that is said, take part in discussions, 

 watch the progress of the movement, and come back to you 

 for instructions when the time for action on the part of this 

 Society arrives, so far as its interests are concerned. Till 

 then you will be committed to nothing. 



