298 



NATURE 



\Aug. 15, 1872 



respect to Science is to raise the question whether tlie 

 British Association cannot reinforce the healthy tone of 

 thought they have brought about through the Royal Com- 

 mission obtained by their influence. We believe that this 

 question will be raised in a more formal manner at 

 Brighton; but as it was first suggested in these columns, " 

 we may, without impropriety, give it our advocacy. 



It is thought by many that the perplexed and perplex- 

 ing way in which the relative functions of individual and 

 of State action in Science are now confounded, has its 

 origin in a groat measure in neglect of classification on 

 the part of private persons and private bodies. And the 

 opinion is spreading widely that the British Association 

 itself has not sufficiently discriminated, in distributing its 

 funds, between objects which individuals are perfectly 

 able to compass, and which they should be encouraged to 

 undertake, and those which the State alone can success- 

 fully grapple with, and which, by reason of their evident 

 importance to the community at large, the State is there- 

 fore bound, as a matter of duty, effectively to provide for. 

 We shall not here attempt to indicate the tests by which 

 these two classes of scientific objects may be distinguished. 

 If the principle be but admitted that a distinction does 

 exist, the necessary rules for enforcing it may safely be 

 left to the wisdom of the Association to draw up. Its 

 experience is very wide, and its records will supply ample 

 materials for ascertaining what are the purposes which, 

 with the best intentions, it has been unable to attain, and 

 on which its grants have been virtually wasted. These 

 will afford data sufficient for the construction of a code of 

 rules applicable to almost every case that can come 

 before it. 



The next question is, how should these tests be applied ? 

 We are satisfied that the time has arrived when the As- 

 sociation may with perfect propriety, and with the cer- 

 tainty of the most beneficial consequences, decline to 

 allot any portion of its funds to purposes which should 

 by rights be undertaken by Government. We are far 

 from counselling this step as a retaliation for such refusals 

 of State help as that respecting, for instance, the tides. 

 Any such feeling would be quite unworthy of such a body 

 as the British Association. Its grounds for doing as is 

 proposed would be perfectly clear, and entirely free from 

 any suspicion of antagonism or irritability. First, many 

 of the objects which the Association has attempted to 

 attain have been distinctly proved to be too large for its 

 resources, and to require official machinery which it can- 

 not comm.ind. The question of Sewage is a marked 

 example of this class. But the fact that the Association 

 has taken up such a subject leads to the mistaken belief 

 that it is properly provided for ; and it is not till some 

 years have elapsed that the tru h breaks upon us that the 

 time and money expended upon it have been almost 

 wholly wasted, and that tbe c|ue6tion remains pretty much 

 in its original condition — not appieeiably advanced. The 

 attempt to deal with such problems with insufficient 

 means results, therefore, in delusion and delay. Secondly, 

 to deal with all classes of scientific questions without dis- 

 crimination, perpetuates and deepens the obscurity which 

 prevails in England as to the duties of the State. No one 

 has yet been bold enough to maintain that the State should 

 do nothing whatever for Science, and that what is at present 



* Vidi " The Tides and the Tre;isury," Juna 27, 1872. No. 139, vol. \'\ 



done should be discontinued ; but scarcely any one seems 

 to have a clear idea of the principles on which such duties 

 should be defined, and on which expansion should pro- 

 ceed. If once such a definition is arrived at, the main 

 difficulty will have been overcome. If it is once settled 

 by competent authorities that certain inquiries, or experi- 

 ments, or observations, should, by reason of their expcn- 

 sivencss, of their value to the community, or of the 

 length of time they must occupy, be undertaken by 

 Government, the first step will have been take 11 towards 

 that organisation of State Science which it is clear must 

 not be much longer delayed. 



Now, there can be no more practical mode of arriving 

 at such a definition than that of firmly refusing to apply 

 private funds to public purposes, as here pioposed. Theic 

 will at first be some difficulty in effecting the necessaiy 

 classification, and it will be well not to apply it at the 

 outset too rigorously ; but by degrees the difficulty will 

 vanish, and it will be as easy to say what subjects devolve 

 on tbe State as it now is to say what subjects appertain 

 to particular sections of the Association. 



Another great advantage which will ensue will be the 

 amount of funds thus set free for assisting those objects 

 which can be effectually attained by individual enterprise, 

 the number of which is very great. It is well known, and 

 much to be lamented, that many of these invaluable un- 

 dertakings are starved for want of those very funds which 

 are now spent in the vain endeavour to do the State's woik. 



The subjects which the Association may thus pronounce 

 to be not within its province should not be lost si;,' t of. 

 An enumeration of them should be submitted annua'ly to 

 Government, and the resulting action taken on them by 

 Government should be regularly reported to the Associa- 

 tion and published. The effect of this would be to assist 

 the Government in arriving at some measure of the scien- 

 tific work which must be done by them, if done at all. 

 This will soon be shown to be enormous in extent and 

 variety. Attention will next be called to the machirery 

 existing for such purposes. The first question will be. If 

 such and such investigations are to be undertaken, which 

 depaitment shall be made responsible for them? And 

 this must bring out prominently the absurdity of our pre- 

 sent arrangements, whereby the various scientific institu- 

 tions of the State are scattered amongst the various de- 

 partments, and must lead to what is the fundamental 

 requisite — concentration of all such institutions under one 

 department responsible for the whole. 



Nothing that the Association can do would, in our 

 opinion, conduce so directly to this desired end as the 

 classification of the applications made to them for funds 

 in aid. The object is one in strict keeping with its tradi- 

 tions, and quite worthy of its ambition, destineel as it is 

 to be the High Couit of Appeal in Science, and the prime 

 mover in all that corcerns material anel philosophical 

 progress. In the present day no considerable measure is 

 undertaken by the State except in obedience to an im- 

 pulse from without. This will clearly be the case with 

 respect to Science. The first impulse has been given 

 already by the British Association. We foresee that the 

 issue will depend materially on the persistent firmness 

 with which its first efforts are followed up by that poweifiil 

 and useful body. Success must crown them at last, and 

 sooner perhaps than some at present anticipate. 



