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I believe it is well known that Sir Humphry Davy's opinions on 

 this subject were very similar to Lord Northampton's, and I have 

 heard that he had deliberately committed them to paper, setting out 

 fully his views as to the prospects of science in this country, and 

 the position the Royal Society should hold. Such a document 

 would be of great value, and I have anxiously inquired for it, but 

 in vain. 



This was the state of things at the time of my election as Presi- 

 dent, and after full consideration I took the first opportunity, at the 

 anniversary in 1849, of expressing my entire concurrence in the views 

 of Lord Northampton. It appeared to me, however, to be quite 

 evident that there was not a strong and universal desire to change 

 the day of the anniversary ; and that was to be expected. There 

 are certain associations, hallowed by time, to which we all recur with 

 pleasure : when we meet on the 30th of November, our thoughts 

 are led back to the auspicious day when the Royal Society was 

 founded : we are reminded of Boyle, Wren, Hooke and Wallis, the 

 first Fellows, and feel a just pride that we enjoy the high honour of 

 being their successors. Few, perhaps, would assent without some 

 degree of reluctance to a change which would sever these ancient 

 associations. Feeling assured, therefore, that there were various 

 shades of opinion, and having stated my views distinctly in my first 

 address, I did not conceive it to be my duty to proceed further. 

 The next step would have been, to have directed the attention of the 

 Council to its former decision as to the expediency of changing the 

 anniversary, and to have obtained the best advice as to the means 

 to be taken to effect that object. I thought it better to let the 

 matter rest for a time. Had I thought otherwise, there was certainly 

 no one by whom such a question could have been brought forward 

 with less propriety, or less advantage, than your President. He 

 could not have recommended his arguments as springing from an 

 unbiassed mind, when he was in the position, not a very agreeable 

 one, of being necessarily absent during the autumn and winter, 

 when there was so much business of importance. Now the case is 

 different. There is no longer any reason for reserve, and in express- 

 ing in my last address the same opinions as in my first address, I 

 have ventured to express them more strongly, because experience 

 has more fully confirmed them. If we are to distribute medals, it is 



