370 



NATURE 



[March 9, 1876 



teaching, and a much-needed stimulus thereby given to 

 learning in the Universities. 



The remarks of Lord Salisbury on the question of re- 

 search are quite as liberal as those on the questions of 

 general education of th« University. " The only point," 

 he says, " in the connection to which I wish to call atten- 

 tion is that referring to research. We are of opinion 

 that the mere duty of communicating knowledge to others 

 does not fulfil all the functions of a University, and that 

 the best Universities in former times have been those in 

 which the instructors, in addition to imparting learning, 

 wer^ engaged in adding new stores to the already ac- 

 quired accumulation of knowledge." 



How best can research be combined with teaching ? 

 It will probably be found advisable to relieve from all 

 teaching some of the professors who belong to the highest 

 grade, and who have shown their capability for research ; 

 but we do not believe that this principle can with any 

 advantage be generally adopted in the case of young and 

 untried men. It would appear to be far safer to give 

 opportunities of research by not demanding too much 

 teaching work. With a large staff of lecturers it would 

 not be necessary to demand from each more than two 

 terms' teaching ia the year. With only two terms' work 

 and the remainder of the year free, ample time would be 

 given for a teacher, not only to keep up with the progress 

 of his subject, but also himself to advance it ; but this 

 point might be left for further consideration and expe- 

 rience. 



The research we are anxious for is not confined to the 

 natural sciences, but embraces all branches of learning, 

 and we cannot better explain our view in this matter than 

 by again quoting a passage from Lord Salisbury's speech. 

 " What I am particularly anxious for," he says, " is that 

 all branches of culture should have equal encouragement, 

 and should be regarded not as rivals but as allies in the 

 gr»at and difficult task of cultivating and developing the 

 human mind." 



SCIENCE AND ART IN IRELAND 



'T^HE Royal Dublin Society held a special meeting on 

 -*• Thursday, March 2, to consider the Report of the 

 Council on Lord Sandon's letter. In the absence of 

 his Grace the Duke of Leinster, the President of the 

 Society, the chair was taken by Sir George Hodson, Bart., 

 one of the Vice-Presidents. Dr. Steele read the Report 

 of Council, which concluded with a recommendation that 

 the Society should sanction the Council's sending a depu- 

 tation to London to press the following points upon her 

 Majesty's Government : — 



1. An assurance that the library, and the collections in 

 the museums, shall be maintained in Dublin for the use 

 of the public. 



2. That ample accommodation shall be secured for the 

 members of the Society for the purposes of their meetings, 

 for their reading rooms, and for their officers ; the whole 

 being maintained for the Society, and under its own 

 control. 



3. That a suitable apartment as a reading room in 

 connection with the library shall be provided for the ex- 

 clusive use of the members of the Society. 



4. That the members shall have the privilege, under 

 reasonable restrictions and conditions, of borrowing books 

 out of the library. 



5. That the Agricultural Department shall be compen- 

 sated by an equivalent for any space of which it may be 

 deprived, 



6. That the laboratory, with the services of an analyst, 

 shall be preserved as heretofore for the purposes of the 

 Society. 



7. That the services of the present officers of the Society 

 shall be retained ; cr the salaries and emoluments which 

 they now enjoy secured to them. 



8. That, as heretofore, an adequate staff shall be main- 

 tained for the purposes of the Society, or an equivalent 

 grant to enable it to provide itself with the same. 



9. That the members shall have free access to the new 

 Institution at all times that such s open (whether by 

 payment or otherwise) to the public. 



That as some equivalent for the property surrendered, 

 and as a compensation for a possible falling off in the 

 income of the Society, an annual sum be granted to enable 

 it to continue its several works of utility. 



Mr. Ferguson moved a resolution in the following 

 terms : " By reason of the very recent date of Lord 

 Sandon's letter (Feb. 9, 1876) relative to the establishing 

 in Dublin of a ' Science and Art Museum,' and the con- 

 sequent short period the Council of the Society have had 

 to make the Report thereon as this day laid before the 

 .Society, it is desirable that the consideration of the 

 Council's Report be now adjourned till this day four weeks, 

 for the purpose of enabling the Council to lay before the 

 members of the Society such necessary information as 

 will enable due and proper action to be taken on the 

 several matters therein." This resolution was at once 

 seconded by Dr. O'Donovan, and the necessity of 

 adjourning was urged by several members to whom the 

 leading facts in reference to the Society's relation to the 

 Government, as stated in the Council's Report, appeared 

 quite new. Dr. E. P. Wright said that the mover and 

 seconder of the resolution asked for more light ; to him it 

 appeared as if the light they already had had dazzled them. 

 Let the terms of the minute of the Science and Art 

 Department of Sept. 21, 1865, be remembered, and how 

 could the Society indulge in the illusion that the so-called 

 Departments of the Society belonged to it otherwise than 

 as in trust for the public ? As to representing that the 

 Government were not fully aware of the position of affairs, 

 was it not a fact that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 

 Lord Sandon, and Mr. W. H. Smith had within the last 

 few months personally inspected all the arrangements of 

 the Society for themselves .'' and did anyone present 

 doubt that Sir M. H. Beach had not a perfect knowledge 

 of the Society's wants and merits .'' and then there had 

 been a Parliamentary inquiry in 1864 and a Royal Com- 

 mission in 1868. Why then waste time in asking for 

 more information ? Lord Sandon's letter was clear and 

 explicit. Why not boldly face the inevitable, and see in 

 the proposed scheme a means of having in Dublin what 

 all desired, a National Library and a Museum of Science 

 and Art? Several of the points asked by the Council it 

 seemed probable would be yielded by the Government ; 

 but he appealed to those who had the true interests of 

 their country at heart to support and co-operate with the 

 Government in this matter, and not tD treat them as 

 Greeks, though bringing gifts. As the feeling of the 

 meeting seemed to be in favour of having the Council's 

 Report in extenso before them, he would move as an 

 amendment : " That Lord Sandon's letter and the Report 

 of the Council just read be printed and circulated among 

 the members ; and that this meeting do adjourn until this 

 day fortnight — then to consider the same." This amend- 

 ment was seconded by Lord Powerscourt, but on being 

 put was negatived, whereon the original resolution was 

 put from the chair and declared duly carried. It was 

 further resolved that the Council should send a deputa- 

 tion to London to obtain such additional information as 

 they could as to the intentions of the Government. 



At a special meeting of the Royal Irish Academy, held 

 on Monday last, the following amendments were adopted 

 by a large majority : — 



I. That the Royal Irish Academy being desirous of co- 

 operating with her Majesty's Government in the measures 

 necessary for the establishment of a National Science 

 and Art Museum in Dublin, provided that the independ- 

 ence and usefulness of the Academy be not injuriously 

 affected by such measures, is willing to consent to the 



