2 ADDRESS TO THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION, 1881. 



illustrious men who have preceded me in this chair, 

 that it has not fallen to one of my eminent friends 

 around me, to preside on this auspicious occasion. 

 Conscious, however, as I am of my own deficiencies, I 

 feel that I must not waste time in dwelling on them, 

 more especially as in doing so I should but give them 

 greater prominence. I will, therefore, only make one 

 earnest appeal to your kind indulgence. 



The connection of the British Association with the 

 City of York does not depend merely on the fact that 

 our first meeting was held here. It originated in a 

 letter addressed by Sir D. Brewster to Professor Phillips, 

 as Secretary to your York Philosophical Society, by 

 whom the idea was warmly taken up. The first meet- 

 ing was held on September 26, 1831, the chair 

 being occupied by Lord Milton, who delivered an 

 address, after which Mr. William Vernon Harcourt, 

 Chairman of the Committee of Management, submitted 

 to the meeting a code of rules which had been so 

 maturely considered, and so wisely framed, that they 

 have remained substantially the same down to the 

 present day. 



Of those who organised and took part in that first 

 meeting, few, alas! remain. Brewster and Phillips, 

 Harcourt and Lord Milton, Lyell and Murchison, all 

 have passed away, but their memories live among us. 

 Some few, indeed, of those present at our first meeting, 

 we rejoice to see here to-day, including one of the five 

 members constituting the original organising Com- 

 mittee, our venerable Vice- President, Archdeacon 

 Creyke. 



The constitution and objects of the Association were 



