ADDRESS 
BY 
COLONEL EDWARD SABINE, RA,, 
TREASURER AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL Society. 

GENTLEMEN OF THE BritisH ASSOCIATION, 
My first duty in addressing you from this Chair, must be to express my 
| grateful thanks for the high honour you have conferred upon me by placing 
me in so distinguished a position. My acknowledgements are due in the 
first place to the gentlemen of Belfast, who by their Provisional Committee 
brought my name before the Council as that of a person whose nomination 
to the Presidency would give satisfaction at Belfast; next, to my colleagues 
in the Council, who adoped the suggestion of the Provisional Committee, 
strengthening it by their approval; and finally, to the General Committee 
(the governing body), by whom it was confirmed. The strong attachment 
which I am known to have felt for so many years to the British Association 
will be my best guarantee that no endeavours shall be wanting on my part 
to perform the duties of the Office to the utmost of my power. 
i Gentlemen, we meet for the third time in the Sister Kingdom, on the 
invitation, which has been most welcome to us, of a part of the kingdom 
which has furnished to the British Association so large a proportion of dis- 
| tinguished members actively engaged in almost every department of science. 
On our arrival, we find ourselves surrounded by faces familiar to us in the 
| recollections of many previous meetings, and long recognised as amongst the 
“warmest and steadiest friends of our Association. Our meeting is graced 
“and honoured by the presence of Her Most Gracious Majesty’s representa- 
tive in Ireland. With ample and excellent accommodation liberally provided 
in the fullest anticipation of our wants, and with the evidence which forcibly 
impresses itself on every side of rapidly increasing prosperity, opening a wide 







pr ae 
