430 



NATURE 



[Sept. 16, 1S75 



some slight personal acquaintance with the matter during 

 the short time that I ^as in the public service in Par- 

 liament." 



" You stated, did you not, that you thought it desirable 

 that there should be some permanent official to represent 

 and advise the Government in its relations to science ?— 

 Decidedly." 



General Strachey : — 



" The first conclusion that I arrive at is that all ques- 

 tions relating to scientific matters that arise in the opera- 

 tions of the Government should be dealt with by one of 

 the chief ministers of the Crown, and the officer at the 

 head of the Education Department seems to be the most 

 suitable of such officers. It has been, I know, suggested 

 by some persons that it would be better if there were a 

 separate department for science. That I venture to 

 doubt 



" Under such an education and science department 

 there would be a natural division of the duties, which 

 would probably lead to the appointment of some perma- 

 nent officer in the position of an under secretary of State, 

 who would have specific charge of the scientific duties of 

 the department as distinguished from the educational 

 duties, which constitute a distinct branch of administra- 

 tive work 



"The principal officers in the proposed scientific 

 branch of the department should be, by their scientific 

 qualifications, capable of disposing of the ordinary current 

 business under their charge " 



Dr. Sclater :— 



" Do you agree with [Col. Strange's] views as to the 

 creation of a Minister of Science and a Council of 

 Science ? — Yes, I agree generally with his views j I 

 think that it would be very desirable for the interest of 

 science." 



" Do you think it would be desirable that the existing 

 State scientific institutions should be removed from the 

 control of the Admiralty, the Office of Works, and other 

 departments under which they are now placed ? — I think 

 it would be a very great advantage that they should be 

 removed from those departments and placed under one 

 minister." 



" Have you any opinion as to whether the work could 

 be done by a Minister of Education, supposing such a 

 minister were appointed ? — I think it would hardly be 

 expected that a minister should be appointed only for 

 science ; and as I believe it is the case in continental 

 countries that that department is given to the Minister of 

 Education, I think that we could not follow a better 

 example here." 



Prof. Balfour Stewart :— 



" I think it [the Ministry of Science] might form a 

 division, perhaps, of the Ministry of Education." 



Mr. Farrer : — 



" I dislike very much the idea of establishing new de- 

 partments of the Government. If it were possible that 

 this business could be placed upon the Minister of Educa- 

 tion, who is becoming more and more important, I think 

 that would be much better than establishing a separate 

 department for the purpose." 



Sir George Airy is perhaps the only witness of authority 

 who does not seem able to perceive that any advantages 

 would follow the creation of a Science Minister. The 

 following is his evidence on the question : — 



" Do you see any inconvenience arising from the several 

 scientific institutions that are more or less connected with 

 the Government being under different departments ? — Not 

 that I am aware of." 



" You are content that the Royal Observatory at Green- 

 wich should remain under the Board of Admiralty. You 

 do not require to have a Minister of Science, or a Minister 



of Education ? — No ; we are naturally connected in these 

 respects with the Admiralty. . . ." 



The Astronomer Royal appears to have confined his 

 attention to the wants of the great Observatory of which 

 he has so long been the distinguished director. It is to 

 be regretted that he abstained from enunciating his views 

 on the larger question of the administration which an 

 extension and systematisation of national science would 

 render necessary. 



The Proposal to establish a Council of Science, 

 A proposal to establish a Council of Science was 

 brought before the Government by the Royal Society in 

 1857, upon a Report from the Government Grant Com- 

 mittee of that society. 



The object of the Committee was (evidence of Sir E. 

 Sabine, qu. 11,117) to determine "whether any measure 

 could be adopted by the Government which would im- 

 prove the position of science or its cultivators in this 

 country." 



This Report, after enumerating the various matters 

 connected with science which should properly come 

 under the supervision of the Government, concludes by 

 naming two bodies under whose advice that supervision 

 might be conducted. They say : — 



"11. Assuming that the above proposal should meet 

 with the approval of her Majesty's Government, it will be 

 desirable to ascertain what mode of constituting such a 

 board would inspire them with most confidence in its 

 recommendations. Two modes may be suggested in 

 which such a board might be organised. First, the Go- 

 vernment might formally recognise the President and 

 Council of the Royal Society as its official adviser, im- 

 posing the whole responsibility on that body, and leav- 

 ing it to them to seek advice when necessary in such 

 quarters as it may best be found, according to the method 

 now pursued in the disposal of the Parliamentary grant 

 of 1,000/. The second method would be to create an 

 entirely new board, somewhat after the model of the old 

 Board of Longitude, but with improvements. The ques- 

 tion as to which alternative shall be adopted is properly 

 a subject for the consideration of the Government." 



Upon this the Commissioners state as follows : — 



"The proposal to establish a Council of Science has 

 recently been revived by Col. Strange. 



"Amongst the witnesses who recommend the appoint- 

 ment of a Council, there is a great diversity of opinion as 

 to its constitution and limits of action. As regards its 

 constitution, it will be seen from the summary of evidence 

 which we shall give subsequently, that while some of the 

 witnesses are in favour of a Council very limited in num- 

 bers, others would desire to have it sufficiently numerous 

 to include representatives of nearly every branch of 

 science, as well as men of known administrative ability. 



" In regard to its limits of action, the main difference 

 arises on the two questions, whether the Council should 

 or should not have the power of initiating inquiries, either 

 directly or by suggestion to the Minister, and whether or 

 not it should itself undertake the actual work of investi- 

 gation required for State purposes. 



" As to the mode of remuneration, the opinions vary 

 between those which advocate annual payments to per- 

 manent officials, and those which are in favour of pay- 

 ments for attendance at meetings. 



" The opinions of the witnesses who are opposed to any 

 such Council are based, in the main, upon one or more of 

 the following objections : — 



" I. That Government can get the best advice with- 

 out it. 



