DARWINISM AND MALTHOS. Qa, 
of our Institute than those read by members, who have often shown 
both narrow prejudice and an entire lack of appreciation of modern 
views. Professor Hull’s statement that the theory of evolution was 
not backed up by facts as numerous and striking as were those of 
gravitation is quite true, but I would point out that the slowness of 
evolution, the impossibility to reproduce the conditions of past ages, 
the difficulty of experimenting, etc., precludes such satisfactory 
evidence. 
Gravitation, like all scientific theories, is merely a working 
hypothesis to help us to co-ordinate numerous experiences, and 
evolution has also been accepted as the only adequate working 
hypothesis by practically all biologists, and this appears to me all 
that our excellent lecturer suggested. 
Dr. Irving stated that he knew members of the Royal Society who 
did not accept evolution ; surely F.R.S. does not imply encyclopedic 
knowledge, and beyond their special object of study, their opinion 
is of no more than that of the average educated man. 
The Rev. J. TUCKWELL writes :— 
The title of this paper gives no correct conception of its purpose. 
The relations of Darwin and Wallace to Malthus are only of 
academic interest. A better title would be ‘ How to prevent the 
increase of population.” No one will doubt that as things are at 
present there are evils arising from over-population. But the evils 
arise not from an excess in the numbers of the human race, but from 
other and preventable causes. The Divine injunction to man at his 
creation was “ Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” This has 
not yet been done, and it may be that the ultimate purpose of God 
concerning humanity cannot be disclosed until it has. If I under- 
stand the Malthusian principle aright it would check the process and 
delay the purpose. There are better ways of meeting the existing 
evils, one of which is by making more room. ‘There is room in this 
country for two or three times the population without our jostling 
one another, but millions of acres of the land are in the hands of 
half a dozen landlords and hundreds of thousands of acres are kept 
for hares, rabbits and deer instead of being used by the people. 
Moreover, there are vast tracts of the earth not yet inhabited by 
