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Board of Longitude, but extending its operations to the whole domain 

 of Science. If this question be decided in the affirmative, an ulterior 

 one will arise, and that is, Whether the Government Grant Com- 

 mittee, either organized as at present, or under a new constitution, 

 could perform those functions and act as such a Board ? The proper 

 determination of this question involves many grave considerations, to 

 some of which I had the honour of directing your attention in my 

 former Address, and on which I need not again enlarge. It will be 

 generally admitted, that the Committee has satisfactorily performed 

 the limited duties now confided to it, of distributing the Parlia- 

 mentary Grant in aid of scientific researches. It may be doubted, 

 therefore, whether it would be prudent to interfere with their per- 

 formance of that task for the future ; and it may be advisable not to 

 disturb in any way the present relations between this Society and 

 the Government. It is a more difficult point, however, to determine 

 whether it would be proper to invest your President and Council, or 

 the Government Grant Committee appointed by them, either with 

 or without changes in its organization, with the functions which it 

 may be proposed to confide to the Board above mentioned. It will 

 be admitted, that its constitution ought to be such as should inspire 

 the cultivators of Science, and the public in general, with confidence 

 in its administration. It ought also to be such as to ensure the 

 confidence of Government and Parliament, so that measures recom- 

 mended by it should meet with a favourable reception from them. 

 These questions will, doubtless, receive all that mature consideration 

 which their important bearing on the interests of Science entitles 

 them to, and I trust that before our next Anniversary measures may 

 be adopted with the view of carrying out some of the recommenda- 

 tions contained in the Report to which I have already adverted. 



On a former occasion I adverted to the necessity which existed for 

 conceding a certain amount of public support to educational establish- 

 ments, for the use of those who have not the means or opportunity 

 of studying at the Universities, where the elements of physical science 

 might be taught on a general and systematic plan. If this were 

 necessary at any former period, it is still more called for now, when 

 a system of examinations, prior to the conferring of appointments, 

 seems to be gradually taking root and likely to form an important 

 part of our administrative organization. There seems no reason why 



