Provincial Colleges of Research. 205 



or there existed some post or employment, to which 

 those who had acquired the ability to investigate 

 might be appointed, there would be an inducement to- 

 continued intellectual improvement, and a sphere in 

 which the most valuable faculties of scientific men? 

 might be developed for national benefit to their fullest 

 extent. 



^rd. Provincial Colleges of Research. The success 

 of this plan would depend essentially upon the diffu- 

 sion of a knowledge of the importance of scientific re- 

 search amongst the richer classes. There are at 

 present a very few wealthy persons in this country who 

 perceive to some extent the value of such research, 

 and the dependence of their wealth upon it, who 

 would be willing to contribute to a fund for the pur- 

 pose ; and there are many more who would assist 

 if the importance of the subject was properly 

 explained to them. The chief argument in favour 

 of provincial colleges of research is, that it is a 

 duty of wealthy persons to aid research, because 

 they have derived, and are continually deriving 

 great benefits from it, for which they make no 

 payment. The ways in which some of those benefits 

 have been derived have been already briefly stated. 

 As the large manufacturers and capitalists are gen- 

 erally the persons who derive great pecuniary benefit 

 from the progress of science, it might be reasonably 

 urged 'that they should contribute freely towards its 

 advancement. 



Such an institution might be located in each of the 



