566 



been disposed of. You are aware that a Committee, consisting of 

 about forty in number, and composed of men well known in science, 

 have been the distributors of that fund ; and I think that on care- 

 fully looking over the list of the various researches of interest to which 

 it has been devoted, and weighing the paramount utility of the inves- 

 tigations and the value of the results, every one will join me in the 

 expression of congratulation, that a grant so productive of advantage 

 to the best interests of our country and mankind has not been with- 

 held. At the same time it has been a subject of regret to the Com- 

 mittee of Recommendations, that either owing to the existence of the 

 grant not having become generally known, or to some other cause, 

 the number of applications of an eligible character to share in its 

 distribution has not increased as much as might have been antici- 

 pated. It is possible that some modification of the stringent rules 

 under which the money is now distributed may tend materially to 

 enlarge the sphere of its usefulness. It is very much to be wished, 

 that young men who have received a regular scientific education, and 

 are anxious to devote themselves to researches for which their own 

 pecuniary resources are inadequate, should be encouraged to avail 

 themselves of this Government Grant. 



I cannot take leave of the subject of the temporary withdrawal of 

 this fund, without recalling to your memory the zeal with which 

 Lord John Russell (to whom we owe the original proposal of the 

 grant) and Lord Brougham then advocated the interests of Science, 

 both unwearied promoters of the intellectual progress of the human 

 race, and both have thus augmented their claims to the honours with 

 which an impartial posterity will doubtless reward their services. 



H.R.H. Prince Albert, on the occasion of laying the first stone 

 of the Birmingham and Midland Institute, set forth the advantages 

 of the study of Science in language calculated to make a powerful 

 impression on the numerous auditory to which it was addressed. 

 Lord Ashburton also showed, that, for want of a better scientific 

 education in our artisans, we were likely to be outstripped in the 

 race of commerce. May we view these events as examples of a grow- 

 ing desire to encourage scientific study and research, and diffuse their 

 benefits more widely ! 



The question of the removal of the Society to Burlington House 

 has received the anxious consideration of your officers. An inter- 



