Propriety of Municipal aid to Research. 217 



community upon particular researches or upon an 

 individual investigator, does not directly produce an 

 immediate return ; practically an immediate and 

 direct benefit is received by that community, because 

 new scientific knowledge for the use of teachers and 

 popular lecturers, and new inventions based upon it, of 

 of local value to that society, continually become 

 public. Every civilized community has also received 

 beforehand such benefits to an enormous extent ; and 

 each investigator may reasonably claim public support 

 on the ground that he contributes to the general 

 stock of new knowledge. Some persons however^ 

 who have not fully considered the subject, wish to 

 receive not only the advantages accruing from the 

 common stock of knowledge, but also to reserve to 

 themselves the entire benefit arising from their own 

 special contributions. 



Experience alone will prove which of the foregoing 

 schemes is the most suitable in this country, or in 

 particular cases. At present the plan largest in 

 operation is the system of Government Grants, next in 

 magnitude are the other funds distributed by the Royal 

 Society, the British Association, the Chemical Society, 

 the Royal Institution, the Birmingham Philosophical 

 Society, and those provided by the munificence of 

 private individuals. It is greatly to be hoped that 

 the liberal spirit of private individuals will yet further 

 remove the great blot which lies upon the reputation 

 of the wealthy manufacturers, capitalists, and land- 

 owners, who have derived such great profits from 



