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“© To the solid ground 
Of Nature trusts the mind which builds for aye.’ 
, 
—WOoORDSWORTH 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1870 


THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 
E have so often maintained in these columns that 
Science cannot now be propelled on its onward 
course by the efforts of unassisted individuals only, and 
that the State must itself, sooner or later, put its shoulder 
vigorously to the wheel, that there is some danger lest we 
should be thought to undervalue the force of private 
enterprise. We, on the contrary, attach very high im- 
portance to such enterprise, which exists amongst us in 
England more abundantly than perhaps in any other 
country in the world. It exists in two forms—in that of 
detached individual effort, and in that of voluntarily 
associated bodies, the Scientific Societies. To the latter 
only we propose now to address ourselves. 
The services that have been rendered to science by 
these societies infinitely surpass in kind and in amount 
all that has been done by means of all other agencies. 
By bringing together men struggling for the same goal, 
though often by different routes, by submitting to the 
arbitrament of open discussion opposite views relating to 
the same subject, by publishing theoretical speculations 
however divergent, and experimental results however 
discordant, and by rewarding pre-eminent services, the 
truth has the fairest possible chance of being elicited, and 
the non-scientific classes become the recipients—though 
often the unconscious, and therefore ungrateful, recipients— 
of benefits, material as well as intellectual, immeasurable 
in value. Sweep away what has been done for Science 
in England by Scientific Societies, and scarcely a trace 
of Science would remain. For it must not be forgotten 
that individual labourers, working in however isolated a 
manner, are largely indebted to the stores of knowledge 
garnered in the Proceedings of the Societies, for the 
very tools with which they operate. 
Such being the vast importance of these bodies, their 
constitution and system of internal government are ques- 
tions of the highest interest. We propose to confine our 
remarks on the present occasion to the Royal Society, the 
highest of all, and that which should be the pattern to all 
others. 
VOL. IIT. 



In former days, election to the Royal Society was an 
easier matter than it is now. At present, personages of 
Royal blood and peers of the Realm alone have special 
facilities for admission. The ordinary candidates are 
submitted to an ordeal of considerable stringency, Vir- 
tually they are elected, though nominally only selected by 
the Council, whose decisions, however, are almost in- 
variably ratified by the Society at large. The claims to 
admission of each candidate are carefully and fully dis- 
cussed in Council, and fifteen only are nominated by bal- 
lot each year. The number of candidates is usually about 
fifty. Though the Council’s list of fifteen does not always 
give universal satisfaction, yet it must be allowed that 
names rarely, if ever, appear on that list whose bearers 
cannot point to actual scientific work performed by them- 
selves. Such a thing as the election of a thoroughly un- 
scientific or unintellectual man is unknown in the present 
day. It follows that the standard of mental power to which 
the Fellows of the Royal Society must,-as a body, have 
attained, is very high. It may, indeed, be safely asserted 
that no corporation in the kingdom, or even in the world 
can be for a moment compared for mental power with ihe 
“Royal Society. So much, in briefest terms, for its con- 
stitution. 
The system of internal government by which the affairs 
of a body like this are regulated becomes a matter of the 
deepest moment, not only to the Society, but to the nation 
and to civilisation itself. 
The governing body, the Council, is composed of a 
President, five Vice-presidents, and twelve ordinary mem- 
bers. These areall honorary posts. Two ordinary Secre- 
taries and one Foreign Secretary, members of the Council 
with votes, are paid, the first two 300/., and the last 1oo0/, 
per annum, out of the funds of the Society. There is 
also a Treasurer, a member of Council, but unpaid. An 
Assistant Secretary and a Librarian, not members of the 
Council, and of course both salaried, perform all the neces- 
sary routine duties. 
The Vice-presidents and ordinary members of Council 
sit two years only, and then retire by rotation. They can- 
not be re-elected until a year has elapsed since their re- 
tirement, The Presidentship is not limited as to duration, 
nor are the posts of Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and 
Treasurer. 
