24 FOUNDATION AND OBJECTS 



turn, and to animate the spirit of philosophy in all 

 the places through which the meetings may move, 

 without rendering them burthensome to any. 



' But the governing or executive power of the Asso- 

 ciation, we think, should be vested in a more select, 

 though still numerous body, and placed in the hands 

 of those who appear to have been actually employed 

 in working for science. We propose, therefore, that 

 the General Committee shall consist of all members 

 present at a meeting who have contributed a paper 

 to any Philosophical Society, which paper has been 

 printed by its order, or with its concurrence ; taking 

 this as the safest definition of the class of persons 

 intended, but leaving power to the Committee to 

 add to its own number, and to admit into the Associa- 

 tion other members at its own discretion ; and we 

 propose that it shall sit during the time of the meeting, 

 or longer if necessary, to regulate the general affairs 

 of the Association, to manage the business of the 

 session, and to settle the principal scientific arrange- 

 ments for the ensuing meeting. 



( We recommend, however, that these arrange- 

 ments should be first digested, and the particular 

 advancement of every science specially looked to by 

 Sub-committees, which the General Committee shall 

 appoint, placing severally on each those members 

 who are most conversant with the several branches 

 of science. We propose that the Sub -committees 

 should select the points in each science which most 

 call for inquiry, and endeavour, under the authority 

 of the General Committee, to engage competent 

 persons to investigate them ; that where the subject 

 admits of the co-operation of scientific bodies, the 

 Sub-committees should recommend application to 

 be made for that assistance ; and that they should 



