XXXVI REPORT—1848. 
those other laws which regulate His creation,—the searchers out of the 
means by which the knowledge of His laws may benefit his creatures,—have — 
duties to perform which it is criminal in them to neglect: doubly criminal, 
if to them it be given in an especial degree to perform those duties by a 
special exemption from the evils which oppress their fellows elsewhere. 
In England, these duties devolve, in particular branches of knowledge, on — 
particular societies; but in science in general, and in all its ramifications, 
they rest in a more especial manner on the Royal Society and on that which 
now I have the honour of addressing. To the former I have nothing to say 
inthis place. To the latter it is my present duty to address myself. To you, 
then, Gentlemen, I say heartily, that it would not become you to rest on your ~ 
oars, or to look at the goodly volumes that contain your Reports and record 
your proceedings, and to say, ‘‘ We have done enough.” You have not done 
enough. You are bound by the engagement you have taken in becoming mem-~ 
bers of this noble body—you are bound to Sir David Brewster, its originator — 
—to Mr. Harcourt, its legislator—to Lord Fitzwilliam, who took the honour- 
able but perilous post of its first President, and to those officers who have so 
zealously served it, to do your best for its continued prosperity. Now, Gen- 
tlemen, in considering how this object is to be attained, we must look not only — 
to what it has achieved and to its present popularity, but also to the other side 
of the question, if there be another side. Iam sorry to say there is another side. 
You are all, or most of you, aware, that for many years our pecuniary © 
funds were increasing, and that we made large grants of money for scientific 
purposes. You must also be aware from whence those funds arose; namely, 
from the annual and life subscriptions of our members. Our annual sub- 
scriptions are now of a very limited amount; being almost entirely confined 
to those members who join us in different localities, many of whom only pay 
in a subscription for one year. It is trie that we have funded a portion of 
our life-subscriptions; but a considerable part of them has been applied to 
scientific grants,—more perhaps than we were strictly justified in so applying. 
The consequence has been, that for several years our expenditure has ex- 
ceeded our income. It would be vain to dissemble, and idle to deny, the 
inevitable consequence of such a continued excess. There is only one me- 
_ thod, without deviating from our accustomed mode of action, by which we 
can remedy this serious evil. It is one, fortunately, that is consistent with 
our prosperity in other respects. We must return to some of those great 
seats of population and industry where we have a fair prospect of a large 
temporary accession to our members, and through them of a large addition 
to our funds. I am happy to say that we have reason to anticipate an invi- 
tation from at least one such place for the ensuing year. 
