President's Address. 41 



pects of the Philosophical Society, with suggestions for extending its 

 usefuhiess and interest. With this view he suggested that, in addition 

 to the original papers presented at the meetings, a series of reports 

 shovild be prepared, by authors appointed for the purpose, on the present 

 state and recent advancement of various branches of science, to be read 

 at stated meetings of the Society throughout the session. He further 

 suggested, that among the subjects engaging the attention of the 

 Society, though not belonging immediately to physical science, might 

 be comprehended a view of the relations subsisting between masters and 

 woi-kmen. Considering how many of the most influential members of 

 the Society are engaged in manufacture, and give employment to 

 very large numbers of workmen, it does seem most expedient that this 

 Society should occasionally take into consideration the best means of 

 improving the condition of the working classes. The gulf between the 

 upper and lower classes is, in this country, already far too wide. Not- 

 withstanding our boasted system of Scottish education, the most alarm- 

 ing ignorance and moral abasement prevail, and are steadily increasing. 

 The influence of the Society might be employed in directing and assist- 

 ing masters in their efforts to promote the moral and intellectual eleva- 

 tion of those employed by them, and thus to establish a closer intimacy 

 between master and men, which might tend to diminish one of the greatest 

 evils of our social condition — that which places the interests of the two 

 classes in opposition to each other. "With these views the President 

 suggested the establishment of a section of the Society, whose duty it 

 should be to report upon the statistics of labour and education among 

 the working classes. 



On the motion of Dr. Anderson, the thanks of the Society were given 

 to the President for his address. 



Mr. Dawson and Mr. BeU were requested to audit the Treasurer's 

 Accounts. 



November 19, 1856. — Dr. Allen Thomson in the Chair. 



The following gentlemen were elected members : — Dr. W. B. M'Kin- 

 lay, 2 New Smithhills, Paisley ; Mr. A. Hannay, Scotland Street, 

 Glasgow; Mr. James M. Gale, C.E., 170 Buchanan Street; Mr. James 

 Keid, Engineer, Hydepark Foundry, or 334 St. Vincent Street ; Mr. 

 James Boyd Thomson, F.S.A., Traffic Superintendent, E. and G. Rail- 

 way, Glasgow ; Mr. Wm. Tod, Engineer, Clyde Foundry ; Mr. William 

 Tait, Engineer, Scotland Street; Mr. Wm. L. E. M'Lcan, Lancefield 

 Forge ; Mr. Edmund Hunt, Engineer, 109 Renfrew Street ; Mr. Archi- 



VoL. IV.— No. 1. G 



