364 SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 



disposed to promote, adorn, and patronise science, should, 

 but with due caution and deliberation, be occasionally 

 allowed to enter. There can be no objection to these 

 principles, or to limiting the choice in future to cases thus 

 defined. It is to be lamented that an end was not also 

 put to the extremely absurd and even degrading statute 

 by which, while all others must have their claims pub- 

 lished twelve weeks before being considered, Peers and 

 Privy Councillors may be balloted for the moment they 

 are proposed a law every way bad in itself, and worse 

 in its execution, for that which is really intended as dis- 

 tinction, is in practice regarded as unimportant, and the 

 claim of no person of rank is ever subjected to the least 

 scrutiny; he is chosen at once on being proposed. But 

 the other and pressing case of abuse, the indiscriminate 

 election, was at once corrected by Mr. Banks, and with a 

 firm hand. He announced to the secretaries and mem- 

 bers his determination to watch over the applications for 

 admission, and the election by ballot. Previous to the 

 election, he spoke to the members who usually attended; 

 he gave his opinion freely on the merits of candidates, 

 and when he considered a rejection proper, he hesitated 

 not to advise it giving his opinion, and recommending, 

 or asking a black-ball from individuals at the time of the 

 ballot. The consequence was the rejection of several 

 persons, and this was afterwards made the chief ground 

 of attack upon him in the dissensions which unfortunately 

 broke out, and for some time grievously disturbed the 

 peace of the Society. 



The immediate occasion of these dissensions, however, 

 was an accident of a different kind. The office of 

 Secretary for Foreign Correspondence had been conferred 



