368 SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 



the Society for any philosophic attainments; while the 

 opposite party, in availing themselves of Mr. Poore's and 

 Mr. Watson's aid, had advocates who were respected in 

 the literary world, 



The main charge used in these debates against the 



President, was his interference with elections; and this 



was loudly objected to, both as overbearing, even 



despotic, and as having excluded several persons, worthy 



of the honour they sought. The general objection was 



wholly groundless. Sir Joseph Banks only interfered as 



he was bound by the duty of his office to interfere ; and 



if his frank and manly nature, despising all indirect roads 



to his object, scorning all covert proceedings to attain 



that which he felt bound to seek the honour and the 



advantage of the Society made him openly state his 



objections to candidates, and openly ask his brethren 



to join in rejecting them, instead of canvassing against 



them in the dark, no better reason can be assigned for 



loudly applauding the course which he took. That he 



might have committed mistakes in one or two instances 



is equally certain. The rejection of Major Desbarres, 



already mentioned as a pupil of Bernouilli's, and the 



instructor of Captain Cook, and soon after appointed to 



a foreign government, was the strongest case cited ; the 



only other person of admitted merit, among the twelve 



black-balled in four years, was Mr. Henry Clarke of 



Manchester, schoolmaster, and a writer of some merit 



on mathematical subjects; and all admitted that the 



President's interference had proved most useful to the 



Society's honour, in carrying the rejection of four or five 



unworthy candidates. These, under the old and lax 



system, would in all probability have found their way 



