The Eight Hon, A. S. Ayrton, P.O. — I have to move : "That the Keport 

 be received, and the thanks of the Members and Associates presented to the 

 Council, Honorary Officers, and Auditors for their efficient conduct of the 

 business of the Victoria Institute during the year." I am invited to move 

 this resoh^tion because, like most of you, I take very deep interest in the 

 proceedings of this Society ; and I enjoy, as I have no doubt many of you 

 do also, the great pleasure of reading its proceedings from time to time. I 

 think that those proceedings in an eminent degree grapple with the doubts and 

 difficulties that are met with in the study of nature, and tend to satisfy the 

 mind of any reasonable person that, instead of what are called modern dis- 

 coveries and researches tending to overthrow the generally- entertained con- 

 viction that the Author of all things is God, they lead, when justly and 

 rightly considered and reasonably examined, to the very opposite conclusion. 

 (Applause.) In my opinion every discovery that has been well established 

 and generally admitted has only afforded another proof of the wondrous 

 wisdom shown in all the works of creation. The Society's publications, I 

 ;ini glad to see, are being sought for and diffused in all parts of the intel- 

 lectual world. It is satisfactory to know that the efforts which are made 

 here afford in almost every part of the Queen's dominions a new basis for 

 thought or action, and a new means for carrying on any controversy that 

 may have been raised by publications of a character which we have no right 

 to condemn — because everybody has a right to say or to print what he thinks 

 —but which we have an undoubted right to refute and to show that they are 

 not based on the facts which have been presented to us. Such is the view I 

 take of the efforts of the Society, and of the principal results of those efforts. 

 For some time past, however, I have entertained a rather decided opinion, 

 which I will take this opportunity of expressing — not with any authority, 

 but rather as a suggestion for the consideration of the Council which manages 

 our affairs— in regard to the desirableness of extending our sphere of opera- 

 tions. There are amongst our members men who perfectly understand the 

 elaborate arguments which are necessarily used when we enter into controversy 

 with other men of great mental capacity, who have used that capacity in 

 writing works for the purpose of leading the public to conclusions which we 

 do not recognise or admit. There is being diffused aU over the country 

 literature which has only one merit, namely, that it is extremely cheap — 

 although, if a thing is bad, that which would be a merit if it were good 

 becomes a very great element of evil. (Hear, hear.) The cheapness is not 

 an evil, but the rapid dissemination of the contents of a cheap bad book is 

 much to be deplored. If we are to combat this growing evil, we must do so 

 by operating in the same manner as those whose teachings we disapprove. 

 We must endeavour to diffuse everywhere cheap works of a kind that all 

 people can read who can read at all, and that all who read can understand — 

 works which can be followed without any difficulty or embarrassment, and 

 containing arguments which can be appreciated because they are set forth in 

 a form and style which comes home to their minds and feelings, and in a 

 language with which they themselves are perfectly familiar. These are the 



