Funds applicable to Research at our Universities. 20 1 



reach of all who are desirous of profiting by it." 

 41 That to have a class of men whose lives are devoted 

 to research is a national object." " That it is de- 

 sirable, in the interest of national progress and 

 education, that Professorships and special institutions 

 shall be founded in the Universities for the promotion 

 of Scientific Research." " That the present mode of 

 awarding Fellowships as prizes, has been unsuccessful 

 as a means of promoting Mature Study and Original 

 Research, and that it is therefore desirable that it 

 should be discontinued." 



With regard to the funds necessary : It has been 

 estimated that the money paid in the form of sinecure 

 fellowships or retiring pensions, to young men in 

 Oxford alone "now amounts to about ^80,000 or 

 ^90,000 a year ; and it has been suggested that this 

 money be applied to the purpose. These funds 

 were originally intended for promoting knowledge, 

 but vested interests prevent their being used for 

 discovering new truths. 



The chief object of such professorships would be the 

 same as that in the proposed State laboratories, viz. 

 to keep a staff of the most competent men wholly en- 

 gaged upon research in pure science. The professors 

 of physical and chemical research might be selected in 

 accordance with the suggestions already made, and be 

 appointed by the Senate or other governing body, 

 with the advice of the Council of the Royal Society. 

 All the precautions which have been already sug- 

 gested under the head of " State laboratories," would 



