26 



FOUNDATION AND OBJECTS 



statements to be presented next year of the advances 

 made in each department, and the subjects of re- 

 search which they consider at present the most 

 important and promising, such a request would be 

 respectfully attended to. " Gentlemen, I do not doubt 

 that it would ; neither do I doubt that a simple 

 request from this meeting would be successful in 

 procuring new researches to be made ; and should 

 the funds of the Association hereafter admit of its 

 going further, and offering prizes for particular 

 investigations, then would another prolific source 

 be opened from which the scientific materials of our 

 meetings would be derived. 



' This, indeed, would only be another, and a very 

 powerful, method of carrying on the system which 

 we recommend of advancing science in determinate 

 lines of direction. . . . 



' An enterprise like this has no danger to fear, but 

 from a deficiency of zeal and union in carrying it into 

 effect. It must undoubtedly fail if it meets only 

 with imperfect co-operation and cold support. But 

 if it shall recommend itself to the full approbation 

 of men of science, if it appears to you, gentlemen, 

 desirable to undertake it the Association will have 

 competent sponsors in the present assembly, who will 

 stand pledged not only for its early encouragement, 

 but for those future exertions which will be required 

 to ensure its success. The council of the Yorkshire 

 Philosophical Society have not the presumption to 

 dictate to this meeting the course which it may 

 be for the interests of philosophy to pursue. They 

 collected, in the first instance, the best opinions which 

 they could obtain, before they proceeded to mature 

 their plan, and they now wait for the opinion of the 

 eminent persons who are here assembled, before they 



