Objections to State A id, continued. 



discoverers. As it is a fact that the welfare of this 

 country is suffering through deficiency of encourage- 

 ment of research, it is certainly desirable to encourage, 

 by every proper means, qualified persons to occupy 

 themselves in such labour. Some of the greatest 

 discoveries have been made by men "not yet of in- 

 dependent income," for instance, those made by 

 Scheele, Priestley, Dalton, Faraday, W. Herschel, 

 and many others. 



The late Astronomer Royal, also,* who has made 

 many researches, and was a scientific official paid 

 by the State, says : " I think that successful re- 

 searches have in nearly every instance originated with 

 private persons, or with persons whose positions were 

 so nearly private that the investigators acted under 

 private influence, without incurring the danger attend- 

 ing connection with the State. Certainly I do not 

 consider a Government is justified in endeavouring to 

 force, at public expense, investigations of undefined 

 character, and, at best, of doubtful utility ; and I 

 think it probable that any such attempt will lead to 

 consequences disreputable to science. The very 

 utmost, in my opinion, to which the State should be 

 expected to contribute, is exhibited in the large 

 grants intrusted to the Royal Society. The world, I 

 think, is not unanimous in believing that they have 

 been useful." He then enumerates what he considers 

 " the proper foundations of claims upon the State," 

 which he illustrates, and substantially includes in and 



* "English Mechanic" 1881, No. 831, pp. 586, 587. 



