ADDRESS. lxi 
Gases. Experiments reported by myself to the Royal Society in 1829, 
showed that the retardation of a pendulum vibrating in different gases 
was not proportionate to their respective densities, but appeared to depend 
also on some inherent quality, whereby the different gases present different 
degrees of resistance to the motion of bodies passing through them. I was 
interrupted in the prosecution of this subject by a recall to military duty, and 
I now rejoice to see it in hands so far more able to do it justice. 
The Parliamentary Committee appointed at the Ipswich meeting to watch 
over the interests of Science, consisting of Members of the British Asso- 
ciation who are also Members of the Legislature, have this morning made 
their first Report to the General Committee, and some notice of the subjects 
which have chiefly occupied them in the past year may not be unacceptable 
to the Members of the Association at large. One of these subjects is that of 
Scientific Pensions. It is known to all that since the commencement of the 
reign of Her present Majesty pensions to the amount of £1200 have been at 
the disposal of the First Minister of the Crown, to be granted each year in 
recompense of civil services, chiefly, though not exclusively, in literature and 
science, and that several persons of various degrees of literary and scientific 
eminence have received pensions accordingly, many of which have given 
much public satisfaction. On examining the appropriations which have 
been made in the fourteen years since this fund became available, it appeared 
that only about thirteen per cent., or an eighth part of the whole amount, had 
been allotted to scientific pensions. Considering this to be a proper subject 
to be brought under the notice of Government, Lord Wrottesley, the Chair- 
man, and Sir R. H. Inglis, one of the Members of the Committee, obtained 
an interview with the Earl of Derby for that purpose. The readiness of 
Government to attend to such representations has been fully shown in the 
scientific pensions granted in the present year, amounting to nearly a third 
_ of the whole sum available for the year. These pensions have been granted, 
on the recommendation of the President of the Royal Society,—to Mr. 
Hind, who has the unique distinction of being the discoverer of no less than 
six out of the twenty-five known planets of the solar system,—to Dr. 
_ Mantel, so well known for his successful researches in palaontology,—and 
to Mr. Ronalds, for the electrical and kindred researches in which he has 
been engaged for so many years. The intimate association of the scientific 
_ services of Mr. Ronalds for several years past with the Observatory of the 
_- British Association at Kew, must render this last selection peculiarly gra- 
‘ tifying to our Members. 
} Another subject which has occupied the attention of the Parliamentary 
_ Committee in the last year, is one to which their attention was requested by 
_ the Council of the Association, with a view of carrying into effect the desire 
_ of the General Committee for a more cheap and rapid international commu- 
_ nication of scientific publications. The credit of the first move towards the 
accomplishment of this desirable object is due to the Government of the 
1852. e 




