28 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



of the following societies the Royal, the Linnean, the 

 Geological, the Astronomical, the Chemical, and the Geo- 

 graphical be requested to form a deputation to the Govern- 

 ment and impress upon it the importance of bringing those 

 societies into juxtaposition for the above-named purpose, 

 and suggest at the same time the grant of the apartments 

 in Somerset House vacated by the Royal Academy. The 

 Report also recommended that two members of the Philo- 

 sophical Club should wait on the Presidents of the above- 

 named societies, represent to them the advantages of 

 juxtaposition, and request their co-operation in the endeavour 

 to obtain it. In discussing this Report, some members 

 considered the societies proposed to be too few, and certain 

 of them suggested the inclusion of bodies, such as the Royal 

 Society of Literature, not devoted to Physical Science, 

 while others, who agreed with this limitation, favoured the 

 inclusion of certain Minor Societies, as they might be called. 

 The locality proposed was criticized as not affording sufficient 

 accommodation, and, besides this, unlikely to be granted, 

 because the Government already were desirous of obtaining 

 the whole of Somerset House for an extension of Public 

 Offices. Hence it would be better to apply for a building 

 large enough to afford ample accommodation to the various 

 societies. In reply to these criticisms, it was urged that 

 any attempt to enlist too many societies at the outset was 

 likely to be unsuccessful, because of the variety of opinions 

 which would have to be consulted and the greater likelihood 

 of disappointing those societies which would still have 

 to be omitted ; there was also a risk that the Government, 

 in the state of finance, either at present or probably within 

 a reasonable time, would be more likely to accede to a 

 request for moderate accommodation than to a more 

 ambitious scheme. That proposed, as one of the front 

 wings of Somerset House was already occupied by scientific 

 societies, only asked for half the space which would be 

 required if they also were included in an application. That 

 mentioned would, at any rate, suffice for some time to 

 come, and it was used at present only for temporary pur- 



