563 



analogous bodies, recognized by their governments as part of the 

 civil organization, and consulted on almost all occasions when scien- 

 tific questions are under the consideration of executive or legislative 

 bodies. 



There seems ground for the belief, that any plan for the establish- 

 ment of an Institute, properly so called, in this country, and certainly 

 for organizing any direct dependence of Science on the Government, 

 would meetwith little favour ; nor does there seem to be any desire that 

 the aid now afforded by contributions from the public purse should 

 be much increased ; in truth, there is nothing that would inflict a 

 more serious blow on Science and its cultivators, than that an idea 

 should prevail that the latter had obtained from those entrusted 

 with the conduct of public affairs a greater share of national pecu- 

 niary support than the well-considered interests of the community at 

 large rendered desirable ; there is nothing that ought to be more 

 deprecated, for there is nothing that would be more fatal to the suc- 

 cess of that which must always be our primary object, the object to 

 which the interests of all societies, and of their members, must 

 always be a secondary consideration, viz. the diffusion of Science 

 itself, and the increase of our knowledge of the laws and phsenomena 

 of the universe. 



At the same time, no one who has watched the course of recent 

 events can fail to suspect that the influence of those who represent 

 Science is rather less than greater than it ought to be. For ex- 

 ample : 



Some applications for assistance addressed to the Government, and 

 alluded to by your late President, were unsuccessful ; and if disposed 

 to speculate upon the cause of failure, we may possibly adopt the 

 conclusion, that our Scientific Societies (not excluding even this, the 

 most ancient and influential of all), owing to defects in their consti- 

 tution or other causes, do not inspire the Government with sufficient 

 confidence in their recommendations ; and we adopt this conclusion 

 the rather that we perceive no distaste for, or depreciation of, Science 

 in the abstract among those whose influence is powerful in the State ; 

 on the contrary, we recognize among the members of successive ad- 

 ministrations many known to be sincere friends to its advancement, 

 and perceive also that great deference is sometimes paid to the indi- 

 vidual opinions of men enjoying high scientific celebrity, and to those 



