REPORT OP THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE. Ixi 



It may be that the union in one Board, of men holding high executive 

 offices in the State, and others who, however distinguished in their own 

 departments of knowledge, have in the course of their pursuits acquired 

 habits of abstraction, which are supposed by some to be unfavourable to the 

 development of administrative capacity, will be attended with beneficial 

 results to the working of the Institution in question, the members of which 

 will learn by degrees to appreciate all that is valuable in the characteristics 

 of each of the sections of which it will be composed. 



We think that the new Board ought not to consist of less than about 

 thirty-five members ; and if it be objected that this number is too large for 

 business, it must be borne in mind, that most of the work will be done by 

 standing sub-committees for the various departments of science, organized 

 somewhat after the model of the Sections in our own Association, reporting 

 to the general body, who will revise their proceedings. It would be hardly 

 possible to include all those who have a claim to be members, and whose 

 counsel and assistance it is most desirable to secure, if any attempt were 

 made still further to limit the numbers. The late Board of Longitude, though 

 presiding over only one department of science, contained about twenty-seven 

 members. 



It is proper to add, that Lord Rosse is doubtful as to the expediency of 

 constituting the new Board of Science, on the ground, principally, that the 

 duties here assigned to it might equally well be performed by the Council of 

 the Royal Society, enlarged for the purpose ; and that the Society would be 

 in fact so far superseded by the new body. 



We cannot concur in this view. It cannot fairly be contended that the 

 Council of the Royal Society, or any Committee appointed by it, confined 

 as they must necessarily be to the members of one Society, is likely to 

 contain at any time within it such a union and variety of talent as would be 

 concentrated in the new Board, if properly constituted. We believe, more- 

 over, that eminent members of that Society do not entertain the apprehen- 

 sions of their late President. 



The Government again are never likely, as has been before fully explained, 

 to extend as much of their confidence to any one Society, however eminent, 

 as to the proposed Board. 



In conclusion, it appears that though your Committee have endeavoured to 

 elicit opinions from members of their own body, and from many eminent 

 cultivators of science, they have the gratification of discovering that none 

 of the suggestions offered, or changes proposed, are of such a nature as to 

 impose any serious difficulty on Government, Parliament, or the Universities, 

 were they at once to concede all that is asked. 



Such of the above suggestions as we think deserving of the serious and 

 earnest attention of Government, Parliament, and the Universities, and 

 which we may term our desiderata, may be summed up in the following 

 propositions : — 



1st. That reforms shall take place gradually in the system of any of our 

 Universities which do not at present exact a certain proficiency in physical 

 science as a condition preliminary to obtaining a degree. 



2ndly. That the number of Professors of Physical Science at the Univer- 

 sities shall be increased, where necessary ; but that at all events, by a redis- 

 tribution of subjects, or other arrangements, provision should be made for 

 eflFectually teaching all the various branches of physical science. 



Srdly. That Professors and Local Teachers shall be appointed to give 

 lectures on Science in the chief provincial towns, for whose use philoso- 



