2 INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
Association for the Advancement of Science, the fifty-eighth 
meeting of which was held in Newcastle during September 
of last year. Thus the bearings and aspirations of these 
science-musterings came anew before us here also from 
the great British home, whose lead and aims we are anxious 
to follow and to imitate even in these respects. Whoever 
shared actively or even only passively in the engagements, 
for which this extensive union has been established, whether 
in Britain or on the continent of Europe or in America, must 
have realised how much vitality is infused into science- 
work by these Associations through whole communities, how 
immensely inspiring the personal contact with leaders in pro- 
gressive thought is to individual workers of all ranks and in all 
clirections ; how plans are formed and problems submitted, other- 
wise likely unattended to or left indefinitely postponed, and how 
powerful and trusty an influence by this widely spreading and 
annually refreshed organisation can be exercised on the public 
mind, to speed progress, particularly of utilitarian tendency, in a 
telling and in an impressive manner. Indeed, with the inaugura- 
tion of this Association commenced a new era for science in these 
dominions of the British Crown. It is to us a movement of 
historic significance of its own. It falls to the share of the 
greater gatherings, from which ours is an offspring, to review the 
advance of science throughout its various branches in the older 
seats of learning; I will therefore not attempt at the youthful 
stage of the Association here, to lay before you any methodical 
and connected accounts of more recent events on the walk of 
knowledge, even should I thereby not anticipate, what my 
honoured colleagues may wish to explain or record in the respec- 
tive sections, over which they preside. Indeed, in these distant 
locations it seems at present more important, to clear away some 
scruples, which prevent recognition of our purposes, or to render 
more fully known the wide accessibility, afforded for joming in 
these periodic gatherings. The destination of this institution is a 
far wider one, than may be supposed generally by our fellow 
colonists. The word “science” seems in British communities 
often to be understood, to apply to researches in the domain of 
nature exclusively. The acceptance of the word in this sense 
would exclude from our scope much of the best éc/at of what we 
desire to accomplish, whereas really we here would wish to 
embrace in our range of discussions and operations, whatever was 
meant by the ancient word “scive” and hence “ scentia.” We 
would extend this meaning as far as ever the rays of knowledge 
can illuminate, as far as ever the power of thought can penetrate. 
Social science, for which at the Exhibition of 1880 a congress 
was held here, over which our erudite honorary Treasurer 
presided, can merge readily now into sections of this Association. 
Though we cannot expect every member, perhaps according to 
