1 REPORT. — 1851. 



mean the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations. On 

 the present occasion I can do little more than respectfully refer to the interest 

 taken in its establishment by His Hoyal Highness Prince Albert, without 

 whose zealous support and continued superintendence the undertaking never 

 could have been brought to maturity. I am, however, compelled to cite the 

 labours of His Royal Highness in the cause of the Exhibition, as well as the 

 visit witli which in a few hours we hope to be honoured, as a proof how 

 much is common to his desires and to ours. The ultimate effects of an en- 

 terprise so vast, so novel, must yet be matter of vague conjecture ; but one 

 thing can scarcely be doubted — and in the presence of the many distinguished 

 foreitrners near me I see an incontrovertible argument for it, — that the Exhi- 

 bition will have the effect of uniting more closely than ever the separate 

 nations of the earth by the ties of commerce, of hospitality, and of mutual 

 esteem. 



There are two matters, applying generally to the whole of the subjects of 

 which I have spoken, that require notice on the present occasion. The 

 first which I have very great pleasure in stating, is, that in this year, for the 

 second time, the First Lord of the Treasury has spontaneously placed at the 

 disposal of the Royal Society the sum of 1000/., to be employed at their dis- 

 cretion in assisting private scientific enterprise. The second is, that it is 

 proposed by the Council of the Association so to modify the organization of 

 the Committee of members of Legislature who are also members of the As- 

 sociation as to make it a really efficient body for the purpose of watching 

 the course of legislative measures which may affect the progress of science. 



From this very imperfect sketch of the progress of science and of the 

 Association, two things, I think, will be perfectly clear : — first, that there 

 has been no slackness in the progress of science during the last year or the 

 last few years, as compared with that in preceding years ; secondly, that in 

 this progress the British Association has taken a most active and efficient 

 part, in all the ways in which it is possible for it lo act, by the private labours 

 of its members, by the discussions in its Sections, by the preparation of 

 Reports, by the corporate action of the Association in granting money for 

 purchase of instruments and expense of experiments, by its co-operation with 

 other scientific bodies, and by its immediate influence on the Government. 

 It would not be easy to compare the values of the different results produced 

 in these different ways. Those persons who enter actively into the pro- 

 ceedings of the meetings will set a very high estimate on the personal inter- 

 course and oral discussion of the Sections ; — those who purchase its publica- 

 tions are unanimous in regarding its series of Reports as one of the most 

 precious collections of documents ever given to the public ; while others 



