NA TURE 



141 



THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1875 



LORD DERBY ON THE ENDOWMENT OF 

 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 



WE do not think it possible to estimate too highly 

 the value of Lord Derby's address last Friday 

 at Edinburgh, and his statements as to the rapidly 

 widening fields of science and the increasing value of 

 the results of scientific research. We shall simply con- 

 tent ourselves with quoting the very remarkable views 

 he put forth as to the duty of the State with regard to the 

 encouragement of research, views which, when we con- 

 sider the character of the speaker and his official position, 

 must be regarded as of the greatest significance. After 

 speaking of the all-absorbing nature of scientific research, 

 of the necessity of complete devotion to a special depart- 

 ment in order to achieve success, and of the " world- 

 wide benefit " of scientific results, Lord Derby said : — 



" Science, above all, needs leisure, and I hope it is not 

 Utopian to look forward to the possibility of a far ampler 

 provision being made for its prosecution by competent 

 persons than exists at present. I do not refer merely or 

 principally to help from the State ; though, speaking for 

 myself, I should not grudge it in such a cause. But the 

 spirit of patriotism which animated founders of schools 

 and colleges and public benefactors of former days is not 

 extinct ; in some directions it is more flourishing than 

 ever. An American banker lately gave half a million to 

 help the poor of London ; a well-known Scotch gentleman 

 has given the same sum within the last few years in aid of 

 the Kirk of Scotland ; money is never wanting at either 

 end of this island when men see their way to make a good 

 use of it. When have schools, hospitals, public parks, 

 museums, institutes been more abundant than at the 

 present day ? Science has no endowments, or next to 

 none ; but only because the interest in that class of 

 subjects is comparatively new, and rich men, who want 

 to do some good with their capital, have not looked 

 much in that direction as yet. Is it too sanguine 

 a hope that we may see individual liberality take 

 a form which hitherto it has rarely taken .' Who 

 knows how many discoveries might be worked out, 

 how many conquests of man over nature secured, if for, 

 I do not say a numerous . body, but even for some 50 or 

 IOC picked men, such modest provision were made that 

 they might be set apart, free from other cares, for the 

 double duty of advancing and of diffusing science ? Who 

 can measure what has already been lost to England and 

 to the world, when intellects capable of the highest kind 

 of original work have been wasted, not by choice, but by 

 necessity, on the common drudgery of every-day life ? I 

 know very well that to some extent that must continue 

 to be the case ; it is visionary to contemplate a state of 

 society in which every man will find exactly the employ- 

 ment that suits him; in human life, as in nature, there 

 will always be a vast apparent waste of power. But we 

 may at least reduce that waste where we see it going on ; 

 original capacity is not so common that we can afford to 

 throw it away, nor so difficult to discover that we may 

 excuse ourselves by saying we did not see it. I am quite 

 aware that endowments of all sorts are discountenanced 

 by a certain class of thinkers, of whom I speak with re- 

 VoL. xiii. — No. 321 



spect, but who, I think, argue from the abuse of a thing 

 against its use. The fact remains that the most enduring 

 and valuable work done in the line of pure science will 

 not bring a shQling to the man who does it ; and while 

 that is so (and one does not see how it can be other- 

 wise), there seems nothing unreasonable in saying that 

 society shall, in one way or another, make provision for 

 those who are doing so much for society. Nor do I 

 see that the risk of jobbing in such matters is great. 

 Men who work to make money, or men who care for 

 reputation of the popular sort, do not choose such 

 pursuits as those of which I am speaking. And, making 

 all allowance for the little jealousies and rivalries 

 from which no profession is free, I believe that 

 there is seldom any difficulty in picking out the best 

 qualified candidates for professorships and appoint- 

 ments of that kind where there is an honest wish to 

 find them. I go into no detail ; I indicate no special 

 plan. I had rather, for my own part, see action taken by 

 the community than by the State, or, at least, I should 

 wish to see the community largely helping the action of 

 the State;' but whatever is done, or whoever does it, I 

 think that more liberal assistance in the prosecution of 

 original scientific research is one of the recognised wants 

 of our time. How far that assistance can be obtained by 

 the utilisation of ancient endowments is a question partly 

 of principle, partly of detail. I do not agree with the ex- 

 treme views which have been put forward on either side 

 in regard to it. I cannot follow the reasoning of those 

 who say that the State has no right to divert endowments 

 from one purpose to another. There must be a regulating 

 power somewhere, else changes which, by common con- 

 sent, lapse of time has made necessary could not be 

 effected ; and whether that power is vested in a Court of 

 Justice or in a Commission, it is equally the power of the 

 State. To my mind, so far as right is concerned, the 

 Legislature may do what it chooses in regard to any en- 

 dowment, without injustice, provided only that the rights 

 of living individuals are respected. Hov/ far it is politic 

 to use that power is another matter. Push its exercise 

 too far, and you kill the bird that lays the golden eggs. 

 Men give or leave funds, not for the promotion of useful 

 public purposes in the abstract, but for some special form 

 of pubUc usefulness that has taken their fancy. You 

 never hear of a fortune left to the Chancellor of the Ex- 

 chequer to employ as he thinks best for the public 

 service. One man cares for schools, another for hos- 

 pitals, and so forth ; and unless intending benefactors 

 have a reasonable security that the general purpose for 

 which they leave their money will be respected, the 

 stream will soon dry up. More than" that, I consider, 

 they ought not to ask. Respect the founder's object, 

 but use your own discretion as to the means ; if you do 

 not do the first, you will have no new endowments ; if 

 you neglect the last, those which you have will be of 

 no use." 



We need not cdd one word of our own in support of 

 these views ; the case on behalf of the endos^Tnent of re- 

 search, which we have long advocated on the grounds 

 stated by Lord Derby, could not be more forcibly put. It 

 may, however, be useful to collect for reference the opinion 

 of the country as expressed through the daily press. 



The Daily News thus endorses Lord Derby's^ views : — 



I 



