458 eeport — 1879. 



Section P.— ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND STATISTICS. 



President op the Section — G. Shaw Lepevre, M.P., Pres. Statistical Society. 



[For Mr. Lefevre's address see p, 479.] 



THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1879. 



The following Papers and Report were read : 



1. The Scientific Societies in relation to the Advancement of Science in 

 the United Kingdom. By Professor Leone Levi, F.S.A., F.S.S., 

 F.R.G.S., Doctor of Economic Science, and of Lincoln's Inn, Barrister- 

 at-Law. 



At the meeting of the British Association at Norwich in 1868, 1 bad the honour 

 of laying before this Section a paper on the progress of learned societies, illustrative 

 of the advancement of science in the United Kingdom. The importance of the 

 subject, and the renewed effort to rear a building in the metropolis for several 

 scientific societies, now but insufficiently accommodated, have induced me to submit 

 to this Section another communication on the number and resources of such 

 scientific societies at this moment, and therewith on the improved condition of 

 science. 



The relation of our learned societies to scientific progress is close and intimate. 

 Men of science are not now, as they once were, secluded from human society; 

 they live in our crowded cities ; they frequent our centres of manufacture and 

 commerce ; they cluster together ; they unite for scientific researches ; they pursue 

 their studies in the open day. No air of mystery, no jealousy or secrecy, surrounds 

 their movements. The discoveries they make find a ready vent at our scientific 

 societies. A communication at the Royal Society constitutes an era in physical 

 science. It was at the Society of Antiquaries that Dr. Schliemann laid bare the 

 wonders of Homeric Troy ; it was at the Royal Geographical Society that Livingstone 

 related his discoveries in Africa, and Captain Sir George Nares his adventures in 

 the Arctic exploration ; it was at the Institute of Civil Engineers that Mr. Bidder 

 expounded the system of mental calculation, in which he was so distinguished ; 

 and it was at the Society of Arts that Professor Bell explained his discovery of 

 the telephone, and Mr. Priestley endeavoured to popularise the principles of the 

 electric light. Happy moments that Newton and Faraday, and the host of past 

 and present workers on the golden soil of science and philosophy, were and are able 

 to spend in the rooms of our scientific societies ! Read their transactions for any 

 one year, and see how brimfull they are of precious seeds of human advancement ! 



We have reason to be thankful for the advancement of science. If by science 



