THE ROYAL SOCIETY. 431 



suffered to drop. Nothing could be more injudi- 

 cious than such a step, or more disrespectful both 

 to the eminent men who composed the committee, 

 and to the members at large. If the measures so 

 recommended were impracticable, we should have 

 been told so ; if otherwise, they should immediately 

 have been acted upon. It is a great pity that the 

 opinions of a committee, so composed, concerning 

 the most vital point of interest to the society, 

 namely, its scientific respectability, should have 

 been kept secret ; since it is difficult to imagine that 

 some of the improvements, at least, which they 

 recommended, might not have been carried into 

 effect. Ignorant of that document, we must there- 

 fore enquire how far the object of respectability 

 would be attained by the different means that have 

 been suggested. 1. By the " ejection of useless 

 fellows ; " 2. By their restriction ; 3. By their di- 

 vision into two classes ; and 4. By especial regu- 

 lations for future admissions. 



(298.) The first plan of ejection, proposed by a 

 council of the R. S., in August, 1674, wherein was 

 Sir Christopher Wren, however honest and just, is 

 quite inapplicable to the conciliatory principles of 

 proceeding of 1834; and it may, therefore, be dis- 

 missed. The plan of restriction originated with 

 Dr. Wollaston, who thought that the society should 

 be limited to four hundred : this expedient is quite 

 as impracticable as the last ; for as the society now 

 consists of more than seven hundred, there must be 

 a complete suspension of fresh admissions until up- 

 wards of three hundred of the present race have died. 

 Besides, the mere limitation to any given number 



