president's address. 6 



organizations in the country, received its first impulses from us ; and 

 the organization of the first world service for the systematic investiga- 

 tion of earth tremors was established by the late Dr. Milne, working 

 through one of our Committees. 



The success of these enterprises alone is sufficient to show that 

 we are not merely a body promoting social intercourse between men of 

 science and the rest of the community. Nevertheless, it may be 

 admitted that our efforts have been spasmodic, and the time has arrived 

 to consider whether it may be possible to secure not only a greater 

 continuity in our work but also its better co-ordination with that 

 of other scientific organizations. The present juncture affords the 

 opportunity, and the changed conditions, which in the near future 

 will affect all our institutions, render it indeed incumbent upon us 

 once more to adapt ourselves to the needs of the times. Proposals 

 for a move in that direction have already been made, and will no 

 doubt be carefully considered by the Council. In the meantime, I 

 may draw your attention to the important discussions arranged for by 

 our Economic Section, which alone will justify the decision of the 

 Council not to suspend the Meeting this year. 



It must not be supposed that, even in the early days of the Associa- 

 tion, Whewell's ideas of its functions were universally accepted. It 

 is pleasant to contrast the lamentations of the omniscient Pro- 

 fessor of Mineralogy with the weightier opinion of the distinguished 

 mathematician who then held Newton's chair at Cambridge. At the 

 concluding session of the second meeting of the Association Babbage 

 expressed the hope ' that in the selection of the places at which the 

 annual meetings were to be held, attention should be paid to the object 

 of bringing theoretical science in contact with the practical knowledge on 

 which the wealth of the country depends. ' ' I was myself, ' he said, 

 ' particularly anxious for this, owing as I do a debt of gratitude for the 

 valuable information which I have received in many of the manufac- 

 turing districts, where I have learned to appreciate still more highly 

 than before the value of those speculative pursuits which we follow in 

 our academical labours. I was one of those who thought at first that 

 we ought to adjourn for our next meeting to some large manufacturing 

 town ; but I am now satisfied that the arrangement which has been made 

 will be best adapted to the present state of the Association. "When, 

 however, it shall be completely consolidated I trust we may be enabled 

 to cultivate with the commercial interests of the country that close 

 acquaintance which I am confident will be highly advantageous to our 

 more abstract pursuits. ' 



Since then, as vv^e all know, our most successful meetings have 

 been held in manufacturing centres; but it should be observed that, 



