v.J PROFESSORIAL LIFE. 101 



withheld whilst the success of the Association was 



problematical 



'At all events of this I feel perfectly assured, that the 

 ucil of the Royal Society, as representing the interest 

 of science in Scotland, ought to offer such accommoda- 

 tions as it may be in their power to procure, if the 

 Association will honour Edinburgh by making it the 

 place of meeting for 1834. . . .' 



On the same subject he makes this energetic appeal to 

 afterwards Sir Roderick Murchison, who seems to 

 have favoured the claims of Dublin in preference to 

 those of Edinburgh : 



'Mr DEAR MURCHISON, 



* I cannot delay an hour in writing to you about 

 the Association, having taken the deepest interest in its 

 coming here next year, and being horrified at your pro- 

 posal to put it off for three years. I entreat you as a 

 personal favour to keep the matter open, and in the 

 mean time I can prove to demonstration that your 

 reasons are null and void. 



You say that Dublin has secured a prior claim to 



Edinburgh. This I positively deny. It was specifically 



understood, both at York and Oxford, that Edinburgh, 



from having to a great extent originated the meeting at 



York, should have the first visit ; this, you will see, I 



distinctly expressed in the enclosed letter to Sir T. 



>aiio, which I send for your private perusal. 



' 2nd. Thru as to Bristol, the idea is a new one. 



rpool \ .ken of, but, as far as I recollect, not 



lordo I tli ink it a gond position. But putting 



the (jucsiinii, what I object to is your calling 



a University town, and therefore that it 



ought not to follow ( 'ambrid^p. This is cjnitc a mistake. 



Tnivrisity gives no character to Edinburgh, and I 



will L r ivc little to the meeting. You must be ]>i- 

 v awaiv that it is not an academical place, and that 

 nollmi" . It 1 



